


20th Century Boy

by ZukosAss



Series: The modern world of Avatar (all things modern AU) [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Dog Appa (Avatar), Druk is here, F/F, F/M, Hahn is shit, Hurt Sokka (Avatar), Hurt Zuko (Avatar), I'm still bullying Zukka huh, Jet (Avatar) Lives, M/M, Mentioned Ozai (Avatar), Momo is a ferret, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Pining, Pining Sokka (Avatar), Zuko will also get a dog called Ra, and he's the best snake you ever did see, but we're not there yet, endless love for Druk, not decided - Freeform, or a cat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:55:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27867986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZukosAss/pseuds/ZukosAss
Summary: An Avatar the Last Airbender modern AU set in 2020 (but without the quarantine because I'm living vicariously through my writing now)Follow our characters as they navigate the ups and downs of modern life. There will, of course, be heartbreak, happiness, pain, angst and most importantly, gay pining!No one in this AU is straight. Miss me with that.Tags will be updated as we go, because I don't want spoilers to happen, but warnings will be issued before anything rough(buddy) happens.Parts of this work were inspired by Being a bitch is my kink by MiddleofNowhere92, please go check that out it's a brilliant fic about himbo American football player Zuko and nerd Sokka and it gives me serotonin.(Also I needed to pad the cast a bit with LoK characters we're just gonna pretend Iroh II isn't Zuko's grandson because canon is my bitch)
Relationships: Aang/On Ji (Avatar), Azula/Katara (Avatar), Haru/Teo (Avatar), Jet/Jin (Avatar), Jet/Song (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Jin/Song (Avatar), Mai/Yue (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Suki/Ty Lee (Avatar), Toph Beifong/Suki, Toph Beifong/Ty Lee, Zuko/Hahn
Series: The modern world of Avatar (all things modern AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040257
Comments: 22
Kudos: 42





	1. The Captain of the Rugby Team Feels Like the Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiddleofNowhere92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddleofNowhere92/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Being a Bitch Is My Kink](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764717) by [MiddleofNowhere92](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiddleofNowhere92/pseuds/MiddleofNowhere92). 



> For context, I'm from England so whenever football is mentioned it's proper football (which has no rights anyways because rugby is superior but that's not the point).
> 
> School years work like English school years, so at the beginning, Zuko and Sokka are in the summer holidays after year 10 going into year 11.
> 
> When we pick up with them in school they're in year 11 starting their final exams.
> 
> Alright, that's everything cleared up. Let's begin.

It wasn’t often that Sokka was lost for words. But as he stared at the picture of Zuko on Hahn’s Instagram, completely oblivious of Katara entering the kitchen, he was thoroughly content to wallow in his own shock and despair. Once he had seen the picture he had slumped forward onto the marble island in the middle of the kitchen.

“What are you looking- oh” Sokka narrowed his eyes at Zuko’s bright smile. Backlit by the neon lights of the Northern Water Tribe annual festival. He was standing in the middle of a long corridor of stalls, all lit brighter than Agni herself, clutching a stuffed sky bison. 

Normally Sokka would have found the oversized red hoodie and the black jeans (cuffed at the hem, knowing Zuko) endearing. But knowing that Hahn was looking at the way the hoodie was cropped, just right to slightly show Zuko’s midriff, infuriated Sokka beyond belief. Sokka didn’t know why he was so annoyed, but he suspected it was because he knew Hahn wouldn’t be good to Zuko. Sokka’s first impression of Hahn was a classist, selfish idiot. And for all of Sokka’s affectional bullying of his best friend, Zuko deserved better than that. “Please tell me Zuko isn’t dating _Hahn_ Kat” Sokka groaned.

“Okay, Zuko’s not dating Hahn” Sokka felt Katara’s hand on his shoulder and he slumped further forward if that was possible.

“Is he dating Hahn?”

“Yes, he’s dating Hahn” Sokka could hear the resignation in her voice as she put a little more pressure on his shoulder.

It was at this moment that Sokka’s train of misery momentarily slammed on the brakes at the arrival of Azula. “Please tell me you two saw Hahn’s Instagram” when one is slumped face down onto a marble countertop it’s difficult to see one’s surroundings. Sokka found this out when he could only hear Azula’s movements and see the Lamborghini logo on her keys out the corner of his eye when they were slammed down next to his head. 

“Look at Sokka” Katara gestured to him, and Sokka gave Azula a small wave from where he was slumped over the table. “You tell me Zula”

“Why is he dating Hahn?” Sokka could tell from the sound of Azula’s footsteps that she was still pacing the kitchen. “Do you know how they met?” Sokka was still facedown on the kitchen island, but he assumed that Azula was currently tearing her hair out. “Hahn spilt a drink on Zuzu’s clothes at Koh’s” she had stopped pacing judging by the lack of frantic clicking on the floor. 

The day Azula wasn’t in high heels was the day the world ended. “Hahn got annoyed at Zuko, and then told him he was pretty for a guy with a scar!”

“I know! What kind of fucking dick move is that?” Katara chimed in. “And now Zuko is dating him, what kind of fuckery is this?”

Sokka decided he didn’t vibe with this conversation so he tuned the girls out, and let his mind wander back to the first time he saw Zuko.

_“Watch where you’re going asshole” Sokka looked up from where he’d fallen flat on his ass, straight into a pair of smouldering golden eyes. He stared into the guy’s eyes as he got to his feet, gathering his fallen belongings on the way. “Out of my way” Mr-Angry-Fuckhead said as he shouldered his way past Sokka and down the corridor._

_‘Prick’ Sokka hissed as he continued his way down the other end of the corridor. What a perfect start to the first day of secondary school._

The memory of that day made Sokka smile now. It was his first day at Hira’a Secondary School. He had to go to a Fire Nation school because of his dad’s new job. Going from a small Water Tribe primary school, to a highly populated Fire Nation secondary school had been a shock to say the least, and Zuko hadn’t made it any easier. 

Thinking back on it now, Zuko had started out as the most insufferable kid on the planet. But now he and Sokka were best friends. In fact, if Sokka had to pinpoint where their friendship started it would be the day Zuko asked Sokka to help him out.

_“Hey!” Sokka almost threw his phone in shock as a face appeared in front of him._

_When he got a good look he realised Zuko had dropped out of a tree in front of where he was standing. He must admit, even though Zuko was a knob, he looked rather impressive hanging upside down out of a tree like an overgrown wolfbat. Sokka’s attention was momentarily drawn to the captain badge on the messenger bag hanging out of the tree next to Zuko. So the dickhead finally made captain of the rugby team. As much as Sokka didn’t like him, he had to admit Zuko deserved the position he’d been gunning for since year seven. “Are you listening?” Sokka snapped his attention back to the golden eyes glaring at him out of Zuko’s face._

_“What do you want Pyre?” Zuko trilled his lips at Sokka’s apparent insolence at referring to him by his last name. Though Sokka suspected it wasn’t the act that disgusted the currently upside down Zuko, and more the disdain Sokka’s voice held when he said it. Not that the Pyre family didn’t deserve it._

_“I need your help with something” Zuko said as he did and upside down sit up to grab the branch with his hands, dropping out of the tree far more gracefully than he should have been able considering he was usually an ungainly mess of limbs. He reached up and grabbed the messenger bag off the branch. “Walk and talk” Zuko said, slinging the bag over his shoulder and walking away from a shocked Sokka. What in Tui’s fresh hell could he possibly help Zuko with?_

_“Just so you know I’m not doing anything illegal!” Sokka said, jogging slightly to catch up with Zuko’s unfairly long legs._

_“Sokka, we’re year eight, what illegal shit could I possibly have cooked up at the age of twelve?” Zuko stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets._

_Turns out it wasn’t anything illegal. Zuko needed Sokka’s help to prepare for a talent show. As they stood there running through lines together, Sokka realised that actually, under the fire and brimstone Zuko was a good guy. And those golden eyes weren’t so threatening, they were beautiful, bright and full of life._

Those golden eyes stared back at Sokka now. Holding a loving smile. For someone else. But they weren’t looking back at him out of a picture. They were really here. In the room with him.

“Hey Sokka” Zuko had a horribly sappy smile all over his face, and he was sitting across the kitchen island. “I have exciting news” Sokka braced himself for Zuko telling him he was dating Sokka’s worst enemy. Hahn had it out for Sokka and Katara from day one and made life as difficult as he could for the two of them.

“You’re dating Hahn. We know.” Azula said in a deadpan voice.

“I didn’t even tell you…” Zuko’s features twisted into confusion until he looked over at the phone still displaying Hahn’s latest Instagram picture. He made an ‘ _oh_ ’ sound before pointing at the phone. “That’s the best picture of me”

“No, this one is” Sokka said, flicking to his lockscreen and holding his phone up for Zuko to see the picture of the two of them in their captain’s uniforms. Sokka in a blue tank top and shorts with blue accents, resting his lacrosse stick across his shoulders with his arms over the top of it, not unlike a scarecrow, his mother had told him when she and Ursa made the boys pose for a picture. Zuko stood next to him in a red jersey and black shorts, both with gold accents, holding a rugby ball under his arm. They both had their backs to the camera, and under their last names, was emblazoned the word _Captain_ , just above their numbers.

“Aw, Sokka” Zuko smiled as he leaned forward on where his elbows were planted on the table. “I’m still on your lockscreen”

“Yeah, because unlike you, I’m not a traitor” Sokka snarked.

“Traitor?” Zuko raised his one intact eyebrow.

Sokka then proceeded to hold up Zuko’s phone where his lockscreen was adorned with a picture of Hahn kissing him on the cheek. Sokka couldn’t help but feel a little irked that Zuko had replaced the picture of them holding up their swords at Master Piandao’s dojo. The two had been anointed master swordsmen that day, and they wanted a picture to commemorate their win.

“Let’s not get bogged down with _whoose_ on Zuko’s lockscreen” Soka gave Zuko the saddest look he could, feeling rather betrayed actually.

“Cheating on Hahn already Zuzu” Azula gave her best ‘ _my brother is an idiot_ ’ sneer.

“Shut up, Zula!” Zuko retorted. “I know you guys don’t like Hahn, but I promise you, he’s changed, let me bring him to game night next week and you’ll see he’s a nice guy now”

“Suki hosts game night, that’s her prerogative” Katara said, fishing her phone out of her back pocket. “I’ll call her and ask if you can bring Hahn” Katara started to scroll through her phone to find Suki’s contact information.

Azula leaned over to look at Katara’s phone. “Have you really got Suki as ‘ _Sushi_ _💚_ ’?” Azula turned her head slightly to look up at Katara.

“Yeah, what of it?” Katara smiled.

Azula held up her phone to show what she had Suki saved as in her phone. “Get on my level” she quirked her lips into a smug smile.

“Why what do you have her as?” Sokka asked, turning to Azula.

“ _Suzuki 💚_ ” Azula smirked. Evidently very pleased with her own joke.

“Oh, like your first shitty car” Zuko smirked at Sokka.

“Zuko, there is nothing shitty about a Suzuki Swift” Sokka said matter of factly, attempting in vain to defend his first car. Come to think of it he’d named it _foofoocuddlypoops_ and to this day he still had no idea why.

Zuko made an offended sound and pointed at Sokka. “Now who’s the traitor?”

“Okay, let’s not get bogged down with _whoose_ got a shitty car” Sokka shot Zuko a good-humoured glare.

“No, because it’s you”

“Oh, sorry, Zuko I can’t hear you over the sound of a malfunctioning Cadillac” Sokka leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Katara continued to dial Suki as the boys argued. “If we had Aang here it would be like real-life Top Gear” she said as she pressed the phone to her ear. “Suki isn’t picking up”

“Treason” Azula always had such helpful input, or so she thought.

“You think everything is treason, Zula” Zuko said, looking at his sister while Sokka started laughing.

“You’re treason” Azula shot back.

“That doesn’t make sense”

“Don’t you have an exam to revise for?” The look on Zuko’s face told Azula she had beaten him. It was the summer holidays and Sokka, Zuko, and Mai would be starting year eleven at the end of the holidays, meaning it was their last year of secondary school and had their final exams to prepare for. Zuko and Azula’s cousin, Lu Ten, had already told the three unfortunate students how hard his exams were. So naturally, they were not looking forward to the new term.

Sokka elected to ignore the rest of Zuko and Azula’s bickering and heard Suki’s voice over the phone saying she was glad she was an only child. As Katara left the room, Sokka took one last glare at the picture of Zuko on Hahn’s Instagram and locked his phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I hope this wasn't too painful to read it's my first shot at a chaptered modern AU.
> 
> I'm so sorry I know English school years can be confusing but to clear up any confusion they were in year 7 in the first flashback, and they were in year 8 in the second flashback. Sokka had a whole ass year of Zuko being annoying. And present-day they're just coming out of year 10. Onto year 11 it's GCSE time bitches.
> 
> Anyhoops, more characters are coming, lots of worldbuilding is gonna happen and as always I'm using After the War as canon (literally the minute I find out how to link stuff in the notes and summaries links are coming but for now it's a fanfic I wrote on Wattpad under the name ZukosAss and it's got a lot of good stuff in it, but anyways there are some elements in there that will carry over here such as the civil war and a few made up locations)
> 
> Also if you got the Top Gear, Snow White's Poison Bite, and Friday Night Dinner references I love you.


	2. A Thousand Leagues, I live and Breathe Along the Ocean Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up just before the events of the first chapter and see what led to it. (Because I'm evil and like to tell stories out of order).
> 
> Alternatively, the author establishes lore and confuses his audience beyond belief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow chapter 2.
> 
> Okay let's get into it!

When the head ship of the Royal Fleet sank to the bottom of the sea, a few miles off the coast of the Southern Water Tribe, it fell to where it currently rests atop two rocks with a gaping chasm between them, almost acting like a bridge. It hit an iceberg, scraping a hole on the side of the hull, flooding the ship and drowning everyone aboard. The last Firelord among them.

Under the cruel hand of time, the ship had long ago fallen prey to decay and rot. Once a majestic royal vessel, now left to waste away to nothing under the freezing water of the Southern Tribe. Light still reached down to where the ship rested, and the light caught the gold that lined the bow and the dragon figurehead, the sun’s light bathed the ship in a blue glow where it pierced the water. Down on the ocean floor time didn’t exist, and it never would. The rest of the world was on the surface and it was far away from the ship’s resting place. A pocket haven, experienced only by the few.

Bubbles flew up in front of Sokka’s face as he breathed through the regulator attached to the air tank on his back. He was sat on top of the figurehead, looking up at the surface of the water. Time moved differently when he was scuba diving. He’d frequented this shipwreck many times, it being his favourite dive site and all. Normally Yue would be with him, but she’d had to lead a dive holiday in the Fire Nation, so today he was exploring the wreck with his mum. She was behind him, purging her mask of water on the long deck of the ship. Sokka watched as a fish swam across his line of sight, so close that if he leaned even slightly forwards his regulator would touch it.

Sokka pushed off the figurehead, where he was sitting swinging his fins over the edge, and gave his mum a thumbs down, the signal for descent. She gave him the okay sign, and he sank down below deck.

The sight that met Sokka was a stately dining room. Long tables and cushy chairs filled the room. Sokka could only imagine the diplomatic, important conversations and decisions that had been made here when the Firelord ruled the Fire Nation. If he imagined hard enough he could picture Zuko in the traditional regalia, sitting in the throne-like chair. He was named for the last Firelord after all. Though Sokka suspected that was Ursa dressing up her name choice a little.

Sokka sat in the Firelord’s chair for a little while, deflating his BCD completely, so the air tank weighed him down into the seat. He could picture the headlines now, ‘ _ Sokka Alaku! Defeater of buoyancy! _ ’. After pretending to be the last Firelord he let a little air into the BCD and floated off to the other rooms. No matter how many times he saw the inside of the wreck it would never cease to amaze him.

He floated through the galley and made his way to the deserted boiler rooms. The doors that came down when the water rushed in having long been rusted off, leaving the boiler rooms privy to Sokka and all who entered the wreck with him. As he swam through the room, passing the enormous furnaces, now completely filled with water instead of fire, he wondered when this old Fire Nation site of tragedy became his happy place.

Sokka kicked up and floated skyward through the hole in the roof of the boiler room, and came out in the Firelord’s quarters. This room wasn’t his favourite. The Firelord had died here. It made Sokka think about what it would be like to fall asleep on a ship, and wake up in Agni’s Haven. Assuming that’s where the Firelord went when he drowned.

Sokka decided he didn’t want to think about dying and seeing another Nation’s deity, and headed back to the upper deck. He swam back through the ballroom, the fancy staircase and the dining room, and came out on the upper deck. He swam over to his mum and touched her shoulder, giving her a thumbs up, the sign of ascent.

His mum gave him the okay sign, and they swam in the direction of their boat. They came to the chain that was attached to the anchor weighing their dive boat down, and began their ascent.

* * *

“Hey, could I get to the drinks” Zuko was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a voice. It seemed familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Sorry” He muttered as he moved aside and came face to face with the last person he wanted to see.

“Well hey, Zuko” Mako drawled.

“Mako” Zuko spat.

“So, how’s your left wrist” Zuko narrowed his eyes at the mention of his year eight injury. Shortly after making Captain he came a cropper of a bad tackle from the Ba Sing Se Secondary School’s team and broke his left wrist. It hadn’t been right since. 

“Why do you care?” He hissed, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I, am a gentleman”

“Are you hitting on me Mako?” Zuko smirked. “Hate to break it to you but I’m taken” the smirk was replaced with a wry smile.

“In your dreams, Pyre” seriously what the fuck was wrong with calling Zuko by his first name? “I want to know how gentle I need to be when I kick your ass on Friday” Zuko had been looking forward to playing Mako’s rugby team this Friday. The two had had a rivalry that wasn’t necessarily friendly ever since they had both made Captain. “I’m going to tackle you to the dirt, and I’m going to beat your shitty team, even Agni won’t be able to get you a win against us”

“Oh please, as if you could even get anywhere near me” Zuko scoffed.

“We’ll see” Mako walked away, and Zuko wanted to punch that smug smirk right off his asshole face.

“Twat” Zuko hissed under his breath, and refilled his drink, wishing he could get drunk off his face, but sadly he was driving. There were perks of being able to drive as soon as you were able, but there were the pitfalls. One such con being designated driver. 

When he finished his refill Zuko was approached by yet another person he definitely didn’t want to see.

“Well, look who’s here” Zuko groaned internally at the sound of the grating voice worming its way into his head. “Zuko Pyre” he turned around and for a fleeting second couldn’t put a name to the face that was currently looking down its nose at him.

“Sorry, your name seems to have slipped my mind” as polite as his words sounded, his tone didn’t match. Even the way he sipped his drink when he had finished speaking was threatening and guarded.

“You’ve got some nerve coming here, Pyre” honestly, it was almost as if Zuko didn’t have a first name, he was defined only by his social standing and father’s mistakes and general assholery.

“Don’t say my name like it’s something disgusting” Zuko snarked.

“Well, Pyre doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue” no matter what Zuko and the rest of his family did, they would constantly be marred by what his father’s bloodline had done.

“So are you just here to judge me for my father’s sins or do you actually want something?” Zuko sneered, finally placing the guy’s name. Zuko realised he was looking at a guy from a Northern Water Tribe lacrosse team who had played Sokka’s team, and lost miserably. His name was Bavea, he was the goalkeeper who had tackled Sokka when his team lost and had been kicked off the team.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Zuko crossed his arms defensively over his chest and took a sip of his drink.

“Can’t I just enjoy a party without being subjected to an inquisition?” Zuko gave his best sarcastic smile.

“Not while your last name is Pyre and you’re in the Northern Water Tribe” Bavea snarked and Zuko huffed indignantly.

Zuko made an  _ ugh _ noise and started to walk away. “Hahn?” Not for the first time that night Zuko wondered why he had let himself be dragged out to a party. Before he could escape Zuko felt a hand clench his wrist.

“You’re here with Hahn?” Zuko wanted to slap the incredulous look off the smug asshole’s face but he knew he shouldn’t cause a scene. “How did someone like you get with someone like him?” Zuko decided he didn’t like what Bavea was insinuating.

“And what in Agni’s fresh hell is so wrong with me?” Zuko snarled, rounding on the insolent Northerner.

Bavea got far closer than Zuko would have liked. The boys were toe to toe and Bavea was right up in Zuko’s face. Staring very pointedly at the mangled, ruined skin that covered his left eye, the iris glazed over and cracked. “I’m looking at it” he hissed.

And there was the last straw. Zuko ripped himself free from Bavea’s clutches and went off to find Hahn. He stormed through the crowd, heeled boots thudding dully on the floor. Eventually he found Hahn in the centre of a throng of people.

“Hahn” Zuko said, tapping him on the shoulder. He tried to relax his annoyed expression as Hahn turned to face him. “Do your friends know we’re seeing each other? I don’t want to be your skeleton in the closet” Zuko’s voice trailed off at the end of his sentence.

“Zuko, no, calm down babe” Hahn took Zuko’s hands and held them up to his chest. “Look, when we were first talking I didn’t know if a relationship was a sure thing, I didn’t want any awkward questions if it didn’t happen” Zuko thought for a moment, and decided Hahn was making some sort of sense.

“I guess that makes sense” Zuko murmured, but was cut off by a pair of lips on his.

“Come on, Ko, this party is lame, let’s go somewhere better” Hahn smiled as he took Zuko into his arms and the Fire nation boy realised he had fallen stupidly in love.

“Who the hell talks like that?” Zuko laughed as Hahn’s arms snaked around his waist and he nuzzled his nose into the pale expanse of Zuko’s neck.

“A cool person” Zuko could have sworn he could feel Hahn smiling into his neck where he was planting soft kisses. “Let’s go somewhere cool” Hahn kissed Zuko on the nose and led him away from the party. But not before Zuko shot Mako a glare, which was returned with an eye roll.

“So… what are we calling this?” Zuko asked, looking over at Hahn as they got in the car.

“Follow my directions and you’ll find out” Zuko smiled slightly and turned on the ignition, smile growing as the engine roared to life.

“What kind of car is this anyways?” Hahn asked as he plugged his phone into the stereo.

“A Lotus Evora 400” Zuko answered, revving the car before shooting off down the street.

Hahn’s directions brought them out at a fairground, lights blazing brighter than all the spirits put together. Zuko felt a huge smile spread across his face as Hahn took him by the hand and walked them both into the carnival.

“Okay! Where to first?” Zuko asked.

“I think we could go over to one of the game stalls, I wanna win you something” Hahn smiled, and Zuko led him over to one of the games.

They ended up at a coconut shy.

Hahn handed the carnie three Water Tribe coins and took the three balls that were proffered to them. He handed the projectiles to Zuko to hold, asking that he kiss them for luck before Hahn threw them.

The coconuts must not have been glued down very well, because Hahn’s first projectile wobbled the middle coconut. Zuko posited it was because he had kissed the ball. Clearly feeling emboldened by his alleged expert throw, Hahn aimed a little harder with the next ball. Zuko watched as the coconut wobbled, so close to falling off the stand.

Zuko handed Hahn the last ball and watched as he took aim. The two had to stifle laughter at the look of shock on the carnie’s face as the coconut fell off the stand. “What prize do you want Ko?”

Zuko smiled and pointed at the stuffed sky bison hanging at the top of the stand. He thanked the carnie when he handed him the prize. It was bigger than it looked. Easily twice the size of Zuko’s head and it was so fluffy. 

“I can’t hold your hand” Hahn said dejectedly when the boys realised Zuko needed two hands to hold the bison. 

“Just put your arm around me” Zuko smiled as Hahn slung his arm over his shoulder. While they walked Zuko decided to bury his face in the fluffy fur of the stuffed toy. Hahn must have noticed because he cracked a small smile that Zuko caught out of the corner of his eye. They walked on a little longer, exploring the festival. Zuko couldn’t help but notice that holding the stuffed toy slowed the fast paced environment he found himself in, making the amount of people, the noise, the onslaught of many different smells easier to deal with.

“I don’t know about you but I’m pretty hungry” Hahn said as they walked in the direction of the food stalls.

A few moments later Hahn and Zuko were sitting on the grass. Zuko was cross legged with the stuffed sky bison resting in his lap while he ate the toffee apple Hahn had purchased for him. Hahn was eating candy floss. “How can you eat toffee apples Zuko?”

“Because toffee apples slap” Zuko grinned before taking a, probably larger than necessary, bite of his snack.

“Are you gonna dump me because I dislike your favourite snack?”

“Hmm, no” Zuko smiled.

“Well I’m not kissing you after you’ve eaten a toffee apple” Hahn took a bite of the candy floss.

“Well, I get to eat a toffee apple, and you miss out on kissing me so who’s the real loser here?” Zuko could tell by the defeated look on Hahn’s face that he had him beat.

When the boys finished their food they decided to walk around a bit, and eventually found themselves in a picturesque area of food stalls.

“Let me take a picture of you, Zuko” Hahn said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “In this corridor of stalls” Zuko happily agreed and got in prime photo position.

Once Zuko had posed with a bright smile on his face, clutching the sky bison, he went to look at the photo and decided it was the best picture of him to currently exist. “What filter do you think?”

“A pretty boy like you? No filter needed” Hahn smiled. “Thoughts?”

Zuko took Hahn’s phone and read the caption. “We’re boyfriends now?” He asked in bewilderment, handing the phone back.

“If that’s what you want” Hahn said gently, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Zuko’s scarred ear. Zuko tried not to flinch too much when Hahn’s fingers brushed over the rough skin on his ear.

Zuko smiled and nodded. He leaned in to kiss Hahn, and couldn’t help continuing to smile as their lips moved together.

Unfortunately for Zuko all good things had to come to an end.

“I think tonight was a proper date” Hahn smiled when he pulled away from kissing Zuko. And Zuko thought it was a proper date too. What he did next surprised him, he wasn’t usually this forward. With anyone.

“Will I see you again for another proper date at Lake Laogai next week?” Zuko asked, refusing to remove his amrs from wrapping around the back of Hahn’s- hang on, his boyfriend’s neck until the very last second. Wow, Zuko had a boyfriend now.

“I was thinking of somewhere else” Hahn smiled, planting his hands firmly just above Zuko’s hips and swaying the two gently. “I’ve always wanted to see the Red Moor” ah. That would be an issue.

“We can’t go to the Red Moor- I mean, you can, but I can’t” Zuko realised he was speaking a bit too quickly for anyone’s liking.

“Why can’t we go to the Red Moor?” Hahn asked, kissing Zuko’s cheek as he spoke.

“It’s a long story, the Fire Nation people aren’t allowed there” Zuko returned the kiss to his cheek with a kiss on Hahn’s nose. His giddy smile having long fallen from his face.

“Well then we’ll go for a drink at Koh’s next week” Hahn smiled, and Zuko recalled the night they had first met.

“Sounds good to me, I’ll see you next week” Zuko pressed a kiss to Hahn’s cheek and ran off to his car, stopping to quickly wave to his boyfriend before getting in and driving away. The dopey smile was back on his face, and nothing could take it off him.

In fact not even when he drove past one of the Fire Nation temples did the smile leave his face. It stayed there all the way to Sokka and Katara’s house.

* * *

“Sokka, honey, is everything okay?” Sokka sighed and drew his knees further into his chest, and leaned his head on the cool glass of the window. “Sokka, talk to me love”

Sokka watched the lights passing by as his mum drove them home from the dive site. “I went in the Firelord’s room” he murmured.

“Oh, Sokka” he pressed his face further into the glass as his mum’s soft voice worked its way into his ears.

“Did he really drown in his sleep mum?” Sokka asked, sitting up and holding his knees into his chest.

“Why are you interested in Fire Nation history?” Sokka was slightly taken aback at his mum’s question.

“Because some of it is really cool” Sokka pulled the sleeves of his hoodie over his hands and fiddled with the cuffs.

His mum was quiet for a while, and Sokka watched the streetlights passing over the car. “How do you feel about Tui and La?” Sokka turned his head to look at his mum.

“They’re spirits mum, I don’t really have an opinion on them” Sokka’s eyes momentarily drifted down to his phone as it lit up with an Instagram notification. He picked it up and peered at the alert. 

‘@Pyreomaniac has been tagged in a photo’

“What about Agni? How do you feel about her?”

“I’m not switching faiths mum” Sokka opened the notification and a picture of a smiling Zuko appeared on his screen. Zuko never smiled in photos. What kind of fuckery was this?

“If you worshipped Agni, I wouldn’t mind” Sokka cut his mum off before she could finish her sentence. Their family had worshipped Tui and La for generations, he wasn’t about to anger the spirits by abandoning them.

“I’m not upset about my faith!” Sokka snapped, a little more forcefully than he meant to.

“What are you upset about then?” The car came to a stop and Sokka looked up at the red traffic light.

“I don’t know…” Sokka sank down in his seat, wishing he could melt into it.

“That’s a lovely picture of Zuko” Sokka locked his phone and abruptly shoved it into his hoodie pocket.

“What picture of Zuko?”

“I’d recognise that scar anywhere Sokka” Zuko and his family were as much a part of the Alaku family as Bato, of course his mother could recognise the Fire Nation boy from the slightest glance. “Has he done something to upset you?”

“Mum, he’s my best friend, what could he do to upset me?”

“Because people fall in love my dear”

“I don’t want to talk about this mum” Sokka pulled his hood over his head and planted his forehead on his knees.

“He looked like he was smiling” Sokka elected to ignore this comment, and decided to change the music, realising they still had two hours before they were home. He looked at the time on his phone and glared at it. The sky was blacker than the ocean floor and it was only four in the afternoon. Fuck Water Tribe daylight. Even in the summer it got dark ridiculously early.

Once Sokka was happy with the music he went to lean back in his chair, stopping when his mum’s phone lit up with a text from Ursa. Sokka looked at the text.

‘ _ Kya, when you have the time can you come to the Whaletail Island shop, I need your help’ _

“Mum you have a text from Ursa” Sokka said, unlocking his mum’s phone. She really needed a password on it but she refused to listen to Sokka and Katara about it. “It’s about work”

“Okay, honey”

They drove on for a little longer and Sokka must have fallen asleep, because at one point he closed his eyes and when he opened them they were at home, and his mum was unloading the car. Sokka got out to help put the kit away, and hang the drysuits up to air out.

“How was diving?” Katara asked when Sokka entered the house. For a brief moment he wondered where Azula was, knowing she had been here today, hanging out and doing homework with Katara. 

“It was nice” he said as he walked to the kitchen, ignoring Katara’s question about their mother’s whereabouts. Sokka elected to sit at the kitchen island and scroll through his social media for a bit.

He ate a snack as he watched TikToks, coming across one that Zuko would like. He decided to send it to him, and once he was finished he remembered that picture. He opened Instagram again and found the photo of Zuko, slumping down onto the kitchen island and staring at it.

“What are you looking- oh” Sokka narrowed his eyes at Zuko’s bright smile. Backlit by the neon lights of the Northern Water Tribe annual festival. He was standing in the middle of a long corridor of stalls, all lit brighter than Agni herself, clutching a stuffed sky bison.

Kya made one last check that she had everything she needed before she headed out the shop to help Ursa. The shop had a delivery that day, and apparently it had been a bigger delivery than the two staff members could handle, so Ursa and Kya were both heading over to help out.

As Kya was fishing her keys out of her handbag she heard the tell tale high pitch whine of Zuko’s car coming down the road, and she watched as he pulled the gleaming red Lotus into the driveway behind Sokka’s car. “Zuko” she called as he got out of the car. “What a lovely surprise” she smiled as she pulled him into a hug.

“Hi Ms. Alaku!” He seemed more excited than he usually did.

“Someone’s chipper today” she smiled.

“I got a boyfriend!” Zuko was grinning like a Cheshire cat and practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I”m so happy, I just had to tell Sokka and Katara” Kya smiled as she congratulated her honorary son and pulled him in for another hug.

She let him go and watched as he entered the house. So Zuko had a boyfriend now? That was all Kya needed to hear, now she knew why Sokka was upset earlier. It seemed everyone but him could tell he liked Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon Sokka as a scuba diver because diving slaps and wreck diving is best diving.
> 
> Zuko sulking in the corner of a party he was dragged to against his will.
> 
> And Sokka being oblivious to the fact that he's fallen head over heels for his himbo best friend. (I ain't never seen two pretty best friends)
> 
> Just a normal day in the life of the group of dumbasses that are the Gaang. (Katara has the braincell and occasionally gives it to Zuko when she wants to be a moron)
> 
> Honestly these kids are just a group of moods.


	3. Evil undetectable, Impostor imperceptible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? Red sus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has occurred to me that I can't shoehorn in a descriptor for how this setup works so Imma put it in here.
> 
> Basically, you know the kinda VR setup they have in Sword art online and ready player one? Yeah that. (Except if you die this one doesn't. You know. Murder you).

Zuko’s long fingers tapped the keypad, and he let out a long suffering groan when the buttons flashed red twice. Curse dyscalculia. He tried to input the numbers again but this time he pressed the six instead of the five.

He began the long walk from Reactor over to Navigation. He was alone except for the sounds of his feet tapping along on the floor as he walked. He was grateful to Suki for moving game night in favour of his big rugby match being on Friday.

A flash of movement caught Zuko’s eye and he spun on his heel, ready to run at a moment’s notice. For a moment he swore he could see a cyan suit clad body by the Lower engine, but when he blinked the fabricated crewmate was gone. This was when Zuko reasoned he was tired and distracted so his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But when he got impaled, Zuko decided he needed to trust his eyes more. His body became more transparent and when he looked down he could see a bone sticking out of his red crewmate avatar’s legs. He looked around for a killer and saw a cyan crewmate disappearing down the corridor. Katara. 

Before he could elect to phase through the walls of electrical and follow her, a lime crewmate found his body. He heard the familiar buzzer when Suki reported his corpse and they all gathered around the table in Cafeteria.

“Blue is sus!” Katara slammed her fist down on the table, and Zuko leaned back in the chair and folded his arms, doing his ghostly best to stare Katara down, not caring that she couldn’t see him. He nodded at Toph who apparently also got killed. None of them had worked out how in Agni’s fresh hell Toph managed to play among us. She wouldn’t tell them on the grounds of: _a magician never reveals their secrets_.

“No! Aang you saw me doing tasks right” Sokka looked at Aang pleadingly for help.

“Yeah, me and Sokka were together for the whole round” Aang jumped in, surprisingly quickly, to defend Sokka.

“Has anyone noticed a distinct lack of Azula accusations?” Mai noted, looking around the table.

Zuko looked at Toph and Yue incredulously, wondering how no one had caught on to his tragic death.

“Oh fuck, Zuko died” Katara’s unmatched ability to lie seamlessly without suspicion scared Zuko sometimes.

Ultimately everyone skipped because they couldn’t decide who to sus out. Zuko opted to haunt Katara by following her around. They were playing with two impostors and Toph had managed to get everyone to vote Yue out on a hunch. That just left Katara. Zuko followed her into electrical and watched Sokka and Azula enter the room. Katara must not have seen Azula, because Zuko watched her lurch forward and stab Sokka in the back. Azula immediately reported the body and they were all brought to the cafeteria. 

“Katara killed Sokka in front of me!” Azula immediately yelled.

“Prove it!” Katara yelled back.

“When Zuko died I saw you walking away from where Suki found his body, and now I just watched you kill Sokka” Azula explained, and Zuko watched everybody start nodding.

“I did think you were sus when I reported Zuko’s body” even though no one but Toph, Yue and Sokka could see him Zuko still elected to nod his head violently.

“I think it’s sus that Azula is accusing Katara right off the bat and that she didn’t tell anyone she thought Katara killed Zuko in the last round” well, it was good to know that everyone could always trust Aang to defend Katara, even after she killed a guy.

“Agreed” Mai narrowed her eyes at Azula, who was promptly looking progressively more flustered.

“I have sus for Azula” Ty Lee helpfully offered.

“Okay, who votes Azula? Hands up” Katara put her hand in the air and was followed by Ty Lee, Aang and Mai.

“Okay fine, but if it’s not me it’s Katara” Zuko flicked his eyes over to Katara’s face and she didn’t even look slightly worried. How the hell were her, Azula and Mai so good at lying under pressure?

Darkness and stars were displayed outside the windows on the back wall, and text was written across it.

_Fire Princess was not The Impostor_

_1 Impostor remains_

Azula’s black crewmate avatar became transparent, and the report meeting was over.

Zuko silently gestured for Sokka to follow him, and they went about doing their remaining tasks. Sokka was just about to finish doing the medbay scan when they were all called back to Cafeteria for an emergency meeting from Ty Lee.

“Okay, we’re all voting Katara out, right? It wasn’t Azula, so now we vote Katara out” everyone nodded while Katara was dead silent.

The voting didn’t take long and once again darkness and stars were displayed outside the windows on the back wall, and text was written across it.

_The Ice Queen was The Impostor_

_0 Impostors remain_

Katara’s cyan crewmate avatar became transparent, and the emergency meeting was over.

The top of the table turned clear like glass, and on it was displayed _Victory_ and all of the normal crewmate icons were shown in a line. Once the message cleared they were all taken back to the dropship and the host started a new game.

They were all spawned in around the table, and Zuko and Ty Lee got a red text on their vision that read _Impostor_.

Zuko flicked his eyes up to the top left of his vision and saw the task bar already filling up. That won’t do. He walked off in the direction of the reactor and pulled up the sabotage menu. He looked around and found what he was looking for. Comms. Zuko pressed the button and put the menu away. He checked the top left of his vision again and saw the task bar completely blank.

Just before Zuko could enter the reactor comms was fixed and an emergency meeting was called.

“I sus Zuko” Toph said before anyone had a chance to speak.

“The game just started, let me do my tasks in peace” Mai protested.

“I didn’t do anything! The game just started!” Zuko tried his best to defend himself, but it seemed Toph was out for his blood.

“Zuko sus” Toph repeated. Unhelpfully.

“Explain how, gremlin” Zuko retorted.

“Because you’re impostor every damn game” Toph planted her fists on the table and even though she was blind, somehow managed to stare Zuko down.

“Dude were you even playing the same game as us last round? Katara and Yue were the impostors” Zuko tried his best to defend himself. 

“Okay, then it will be easy to prove you aren’t the impostor then, won't it?” Sokka interjected.

“Alright, let me tell you why I’m not the impostor” Zuko really wished he could get up and start pacing, but the game wouldn’t let him walk around. “I have Medbay scan” Zuko lied through his teeth. “You trust Yue, right Toph?”

“I trust Yue” Toph sat back down in her seat and crossed her arms.

“Okay then.” Zuko leaned his elbows on the table. “Yue and Toph come watch me scan in Medbay, and Yue will confirm that I have that task”

“Okay, Yue are you in?” Toph asked.

“Yeah, I’m in” Yue gave Zuko a knowing smirk, and Zuko wondered if she knew his plan.

“So are we skipping voting?” Suki asked, and everyone agreed to skip.

Once the meeting ended Zuko gestured for Toph and Yue to follow him. He made sure to note which direction everyone else was going and they all seemed to be going away from Security. Good. He needed Security to be free for his plan to work.

The trio entered Medbay and Zuko stood on the scanner, pulling up the sabotage menu. He locked the doors to Medbay and Cafeteria. Phase one of his plan was complete. He also locked Security doors for good measure.

Time for phase two. Zuko turned to Yue and killed her. He watched her white crewmate avatar fall to the ground and when his work was done he hopped into the vent. He needed to move fast.

And now it was time for phase three. He quickly checked no one was in Security and that the doors were still locked. They were. He could see the timer for the locks counting down and he quickly entered the Electrical vent. 

Zuko hopped out of the vent and quickly ran to Storage and up into Cafeteria. He saw Sokka entering Cafeteria from the right and gestured for him to follow Zuko to Medbay.

The final phase of Zuko’s plan was nearing, all he needed was for the doors to still be locked. The boys discovered that the doors on the left side of Cafeteria were unlocked. Zuko reminded himself to stay calm, he had locked those doors first and there was a good chance Medbay was still locked. He tried not to breathe a sigh of relief when they discovered the doors were still locked for Medbay.

The doors opened and what greeted them was Toph standing near Yue’s body. Zuko smiled realising that she was too busy trying to work out what to do to report the body. That or she was too shocked. Sokka was quick to slam the report button and they were all brought to the table.

“Zuko and I found Toph standing over Yue’s body” Sokka said immediately.

“No! Hang on” Mai said. “Zuko suggested going to Medbay, and then you and him found Toph there with Yue’s body? Sus”

“Lemme explain” Zuko raised his voice probably a little louder than necessary, but he’d be damned if he was going to let this plan fail. “We went to Medbay but the doors closed before I could go in, the Upper engine doors closed, and the doors on the left side of Cafeteria closed, so I was trapped”

“That checks out” Katara nodded.

“Well, then I say we vote Toph out” Aang spoke up. “Zuko’s story checks out, and Toph was probably accusing him at the beginning to throw suspicion off herself”

“Y’all are gonna regret this” Toph griped.

Darkness and stars were displayed outside the windows on the back wall, and text was written across it.

_Blind Bandit was not The Impostor_

_2 Impostors remain_

Toph’s green crewmate avatar became transparent, and the report meeting was over.

They had turned on proximity chat for this round, so Zuko found Ty Lee and told her he had a task in Reactor. The impostors went to Reactor and busied themselves with looking like they were starting the reactor and unlocking the manifolds.

“We should come up with a signal if we need to double kill” Ty Lee suggested. “What if we do this?” She made a fist but left her pinky and thumb extended on each hand. “And then point to who we’re gonna kill” she changed her hands to a fist with her first finger extended.

“Yeah that’s a good idea” Zuko said, retreating from the manifolds when the task bar filled up.

Just as Zuko exited the reactor, Suki entered. Only Ty Lee came out. The doors locked and they both ran off in opposite directions. Zuko went over to O2 and busied himself with faking a task.

He stepped away when the task bar filled up, and turned to see Sokka, Aang and Ty Lee enter the room. He and Ty Lee looked at each other and made the signal. Zuko pointed at Sokka, and Ty Lee pointed at Aang.

The two impostors nodded at each other, and Ty Lee impaled Aang, while Zuko stabbed Sokka in the back. They were all transported to the table in Cafeteria, and the table displayed _defeat_ in red text.

“Ty Lee and Zuko had a fucking signal to double kill us!” Came Sokka’s irritated voice when they were all transported back to the dropship. “And I bet Zuko vented out of Medbay after he killed Yue and blamed it on Toph”

“That’s exactly what he fucking did!” Zuko couldn’t help but start laughing at the genius of his plan when Yue confirmed what he did.

“Can we talk about how smart that plan was though?”

“No need to sound so surprised Mai, I’m not that dumb” Zuko managed to get out between spurts of laughter.

“How did none of you notice that I was missing?” Suki asked. “Katara, I was with you and Azula and neither of you noticed that I was missing after I went to the reactor, I’m just offended at this point”

“I was too busy working out where Azula went” Katara said. “You both left and didn’t come back, I just assumed you were doing a long task Suki”

“I went to Shields and found Ty Lee there and she killed me” Azula said while Ty Lee started laughing uproariously.

“Honestly, I think this was the best round we have ever seen and it came from Ty Lee and _Zuko_ of all people”

“I don’t know why you’re so shocked that I had a galaxy brain game today Yue” Zuko tried to defend himself.

“Well technically I didn’t _see_ any of this game” this set everyone off into fits of barely containable laughter.

“Okay, I can hear mother calling me and Azula for dinner so I think we’re gonna have to love you and leave you” Zuko said.

“Okay, see you guys, I think I can hear mum calling me and Sokka for dinner as well”

“Toph I’m hungry can we go get food at that really cool ramen place?” Suki asked, and Toph very enthusiastically agreed.

“Alright if you guys are all off then I think me, Mai and Yue are gonna go as well” Ty Lee said and Mai and Yue agreed with her.

Zuko pulled the VR headset off and wondered if he would ever not experience motion sickness when he removed it.

“Zuko, Azula?” He placed the headset on his desk. “Dinner time!”

“Coming, uncle!” Zuko called before shooting Sokka a quick text and walking out the door.

_Message to: Bisexual Boomerang Man_

‘ _Don’t forget the rugby game on Friday! Make sure everyone is coming._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update? From me? In this economy? More likely than you'd think.
> 
> Okay so I was a bit big brain today with Zuko's strategy and honestly? It could probably work???
> 
> If you guys have any among us strategies then I would love to hear them in the comments (when I was working in a primary school earlier this year all my kids used to tell me their strategies and I loved it).
> 
> Anyways that's all from me, see y'all in ten years for the next chapter because it will honestly age me that much to get the vibe right.


	4. We're United, You Can Keep the Rest, Come on You Reds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can it be that so much blood  
> The crowd was screaming and it echoed around Zuko’s head.
> 
> is spilled with sweat upon the mud?  
> But it didn’t phase him. All he saw was the try line.
> 
> Will this fight not be to the death?  
> He took one last look up into the stands and saw Sokka’s face.
> 
> Does no-one take their final breath?  
> Baying for blood like the rest of them, and it spurned Zuko on.
> 
> Men of steel are doing battle  
> The adrenaline shot through him, and blood thundered in his ears.
> 
> yet we hear no sabres rattle  
> Zuko took one last look up at Sokka’s face.
> 
> instead a whistle shrill and clear  
> And poured on the speed. Racing towards the try line like a tank on the march.
> 
> to pierce a cauliflower ear  
> The try line was near and Zuko could almost reach out and grasp victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because I'm projecting, they're playing league rugby here.
> 
> Hello and welcome to my niche chapter, let's join Zuko and the rugby team as they try to beat Republic City.

“So what are we doing after the game tonight?” Zuko asked, lying on his back on the grass with his eyes closed and resting his head on his arms. 

“I was thinking we celebrate with that cool ramen place Suki and Toph are always banging on about” Sokka was lying in the same position next to Zuko, as they always did at break times. "Then we hit up a bubble tea place"

"Can we get those duck wrap thingies?" Zuko asked.

Before Sokka could respond, a bus pulled into the school car park. It had ‘ _ Gaipan football team’ _ emblazoned on the side.

“What’s the Gaipan footie team doing here?” Sokka asked, propping himself up on his elbows. “Their match isn’t until tomorrow”

“Getting the lay of the land?” Zuko suggested, adopting the same position.

“Probably” Sokka said. He seemed to be inspecting the people getting off the bus. Zuko reasoned that he was looking to see if Suki was amongst the team. He knew her and the rest of the Kyoshi Island girls cheered at most Gaipan matches.

Zuko watched the people filtering off the bus and one of them caught his eye. He was tall with the messiest hair Zuko had ever seen. Though that wasn’t what intrigued Zuko. Nor was it the ripped skinny jeans, or the green shirt and black jacket. What interested Zuko was the shifty, mysterious air about him that also appeared in his eyes, and the toothpick held between his teeth. 

A nd those devious eyes were looking straight at Zuko.

He swallowed hard and jerkily raised his hand to slightly twitch his fingers at the guy. The mystery dude raised two fingers to his forehead and pushed them off slightly before giving Zuko a wink and walking away.

“Cheating on Hahn are we Zuko?” Azula’s pitchy voice broke through Zuko’s stupor.

“I’ve got eyes don’t I? Can’t I appreciate a nice looking boy when I see one” Zuko protested, as Azula sat down with the boys.

“He wasn’t that good looking” Azula said dryly while inspecting her nails.

“You’re a lesbian Azula” Zuko not so gently reminded his sister.

“Shut your gay mouth, peasant” she shot back.

“This feels homophobic”

Before Azula could respond to Zuko’s accusation Hide approached them. “Hey guys, can I steal Pyre for a bit?” He asked.

“Which one?” Sokka asked because apparently, he thought he was funny.

“Zuko” Zuko got up and followed Hide to the rugby pitch.

“So what’s up?” Zuko asked as they walked side by side.

“The team thinks they could use a bit more practice before tonight” Zuko nodded, thinking that wasn’t a bad idea.

Before long the team were out on the field practising the strategy Zuko had come up with a few weeks back. Just as Zuko was about to catch the ball he heard a noise behind him and he turned around. Just in time for the ball to hit him square in the back.

What he saw was the guy from earlier leaning against the fence of the football field, where his team were practising. “Hey” he grinned. “You guys are looking pretty good out there” Zuko gave an indignant huff.

“We don’t need opinions from a footballer” Zuko heard Chan shout.

“Not an opinion” the guy seemed to be speaking directly to Zuko. “Just a friendly compliment” he gave Zuko a wink, making the toothpick clamped in his teeth twitch.

“Uh... thanks” before he knew what he was doing, or could stop himself Zuko was walking towards the partition between the two pitches.

“My name’s Jet” the guy grinned. “Captain of the Freedom Fighters”

“You named your team the Freedom Fighters?” Zuko smirked and arched his one eyebrow. “After the same group who fought in the hundred year war and destroyed Fire Nation supply lines?”

“Figured my team could use some of that ferocity on the pitch” Jet’s expression never seemed to change. Though that could just be Zuko’s social ineptitude talking. He wouldn’t be able to identify a facial expression if one came and slapped him round the face. “So is it true what I’ve heard about your rugby team? That their Captain is called Firelord?”

“It’s true” Zuko gave Jet a slight smile.

“So Firelord” the next smile that graced Jet’s lips seemed a lot more real than the ones he had previously displayed. “Is there a girlfriend in the picture?”

Zuko couldn’t help but let out a spurt of laughter. “No, I’m as gay as they come”

“So I have a chance then?” Jet raised one of his eyebrows and the smile fell off Zuko’s face.

“No… I have a boyfriend” he looked down at the floor.

“Then what are you doing talking to me? Go away” Jet’s words held venom, but his face didn’t. A smile graced his eyes and the way he said the words had the undertones of laughter.

“Alright alright” Zuko laughed slightly. “I’m going”

As Zuko was walking back to his team he could hear Jet call out. “See you around Firelord”

Zuko smiled and turned back briefly, imitating the slight two finger salute he’d received from Jet earlier. “See you around Freedom Fighter”

* * *

“Look” Hide’s voice seemed to echo off the changing room walls. “I don’t care what shop is selling them, freddos should be five coppers! Not thirty” as Zuko pulled his shirt over his head, he listened to his teammates arguing about the price of chocolate frogs and couldn’t help but agree with Hide.

“Kei Lo, why are you on a step ladder?” The whole team all turned their heads in unison at the sound of coach Jee’s question.

“It’s my lucky thing” he said, pressing his index finger to the centre of the wonky ceiling tile for five seconds.

“Everyone has a good luck ritual, coach” Lee said, emerging from the equipment cupboard with a netball in each of his hands. He lobbed the second one at Jay, who caught it deftly, narrowly avoiding hitting Chan in the back of the head. “Jay and I do a chest pass with these netballs off the back wall of the changing room three times”

“Those specific balls?” The coach asked.

“Yep” Lee grinned. “Rinzuk, Uko, Oran and Irina each have to eat a creme egg” he gestured to the four boys who momentarily paused their good luck ritual to grin at coach Jee.

“So Hide, Ruon-Jian and Chan I’m assuming your good luck thing is eating freddos” coach Jee asked.

“Yep!” Hide confirmed. “And the price of these things is outrageous”

“He hasn’t shut up about it since he came in”

“Because they should cost five coppers, Zuko”

“Rheynis and Elliah have to touch the top of the changing room door with three fingers” Rinzuk pointed out, and coach Jee turned to see the two boys with their hands on the door frame.

“What about you Zuko? What’s your little nutbag thing?” The coach levelled with the team Captain. “Our Firelord must have something pretty whack up his sleeve to bring the team luck”

“No pressure, eh coach” Zuko grinned, walking towards the door. “You’re about to see my good luck ritual” Zuko lay his hand on the wall that held the door. Then went to the left wall, the back wall and the right wall, before coming to the centre of the room and crouching down to lay his hand on the tile.

Once Zuko had touched the floor tile he stood up and started to wrap the wrist support he used on match days around his hand. While he was wrapping his wrist the other twelve players gathered in a circle around him and prepared to do the group ritual.

All players but Zuko spoke in unison, “Agni give us luck” they all clapped with their hands facing the floor. “Agni give us strength” they clapped with their hands at chest height. “Firelord lead us” they clapped with their hands facing the ceiling, and then Zuko joined them on the next chant. “To glory” all thirteen of them punched the air once, and sat in their designated seats, waiting for coach Jee to deliver his pep talk.

“How long have you boys been doing this?” Coach Jee asked.

“Since Zuko made captain” Irina piped up, gathering everyone's chocolate wrappers and disposing of them.

“Feels a bit like a cult boys” the coach noted and everyone nodded. “Well, I guess it’s pep talk time now” coach Jee clasped his hands together and got that look on his face that usually meant he was about to deliver bad news to the team. “Some of you may have heard, and Zuko we talked about this a couple weeks back, I am leaving this school to go work for the affiliated primary school”

“Coach, why you gotta do us like this?” Oran piped up. “Who’s gonna lovingly bully me for being short if you aren’t around?”

“I can bully you, but it won’t be loving” Hide quipped and Oran shot him a withering glare. “How come Zuko got clued on in this before we did?”

“Because the new coach wanted to meet the Captain” Zuko answered.

“Alright, boys settle down” coach Jee smiled. “I’m gonna level with you here, I will miss you boys, a lot, I’ve watched you start as novices with a hankering for sport and here you all are, one of the finest rugby teams the Fire Nation has ever seen” Zuko couldn’t help but smile at the coach’s words, realising that they had all come a long way since they joined the team.

“We’ll miss you too, coach” Zuko spoke up. “And hey, I’ll still see you, my little sister is at the affiliate school”

“Oh good, at least I’ll still have one of you being a pain in my ass” Coach Jee grinned and Zuko suspected he was rather happy that he’d still see him. “Okay, I’ve got to go welcome the other coach, over to you Zuko”

Zuko smiled and got up when coach Jee had left the changing room. “Okay, we’re up against Republic City today and unlike the Northern Water Tribe they’re actually good at rugby” Zuko began pacing as he often did when delivering one of his motivational speeches. “I want you to take every time one of them has tripped you or spat in your face… Rheynis. And I want you to use all of that aggression and turn it to your advantage so that we can go out there and  _ fucking kill them! _ ” That got a very loud cheer from the team.

"Kick their ass" Zuko clapped his hands softly, and bounced on his heels, quickly side stepping around the circle of benches his team were sat on. He kept repeating _kick their ass_ and started clapping his hands harder as he made his way around the room. The team joined in, banging their hands on the wall behind them until they were shouting their new motto as they ran out to the passage where they would wait to flood on to the pitch.

The team got into their formation and waited for their names to be called when the commentator introduced the teams. The home team was announced first, then the away team. The Captain was the last position that was announced.

“We’ve got the Fire Ferrets, coming in all the way from Republic City today, but first, let me introduce you to the home team” Zuko set his eyes on the pitch, watching his team run out onto the grass when their names were called. Zuko waited patiently to hear the commentator call him out to the field.

“And I give you your Captain” Zuko set his face, and began the walk to the pitch. “Your reigning Firelord” Zuko broke out into a run. “Zuko Pyre!” Zuko waved as he ran out onto the pitch, letting the chanting of ‘ _ Firelord _ ’ from the crowd wash over him.

By the time the home team had gathered on their end of the field, the away team was being announced. Zuko watched them filter out onto the pitch, glaring his team down with ugly sneers. 

“And the Captain of the Fire Ferrets, Mako Ishida!” There was a chorus of cheers from one side of the stadium and Zuko assumed those were the Republic City supporters. He scanned the audience and could see all of his friends. No Hahn though. Zuko felt a twinge of sadness realising his boyfriend was absent, but he must have a good reason. 

Suki and Ty Lee were missing from the friend group, but one more scan of the field revealed the girls on their respective cheer teams. It seemed Republic City had elected to borrow the Kyoshi Island cheer squad. “Mako Ishida, and Zuko Pyre will now step forward for the coin toss to decide which team will begin the game”

Zuko walked forward towards the centre line, constantly staring a hole through Mako. Though could anyone really blame Zuko? Mako was doing the same to him. It was only fair. They seemed to have the Gaipan coach assuming the referee mantle. “Only one of us will walk away the victor tonight, Pyre”

“It won’t be you, Ishida” two can play the surname game, Mako.

“Heads the Fire Ferrets start, flame the Golden Dragons start” the coach explained, and Zuko trained his eyes on the gold piece as it was flicked into the air. It landed in the grass between the two Captains’ feet. The face of the last Firelord to ever live was looking up at Zuko out of the grass. And he did not look pleased with him. No matter, their plan could still work with the opposition kicking off.

The two captains walked back to their teams, and Zuko signalled everyone to get in position. “The ball is placed on the ground, and Desna Quannik is the kicker for the Fire Ferrets” Zuko eyed the Republic City Forward as he took three steps back from the ball.

All at once the ball had been kicked and the game was in play. The crowd was cheering and yelling for their respective teams and Zuko could hear his blood thundering in his ears as the Hook and the two Props ran past him, in possession of the ball.

Zuko ran after the three and yelled at Lee to pass him the ball. Lee did just that and Zuko could see a clear line ahead of him blocked by only one player. He made the decision to run for it. Zuko barrelled towards the player, bearing down on him quickly. The other team’s Stand-off was fast when he lunged, but Zuko was faster and the tackle missed. Zuko poured on the speed and slammed the ball down over the try line. Keeping contact with it.

Half of the stadium erupted into cheers and yells, and Zuko could have sworn he could hear his friends yelling louder than the rest. As he jogged back to his own half he could see Jet sitting next to Katara. The football player caught his eye and shot him that two fingered salute. Zuko returned it with a wink and went back to his position. Waiting for the conversion. 

A smile crept onto Zuko’s face when he watched the four on the scoreboard change to a six when the conversion was successful. For a gruelling thirty minutes, the Golden Dragons continued to employ their carefully formed strategy. Until it all fell apart and the Fire Ferrets got a literal hit on them. Before it all went to hell in a handcart, they were winning with a tremendous lead of thirty four to twenty two, and Zuko was about to score another try.

He was so close to the try line, but he felt something collide with him and all he could hear was screaming from somewhere in the stands. He rolled a good four feet, slamming every part of him but his head (thank Agni) into the hard packed ground. He groaned as he sat up and watched a medic rushing over. The medic looked him over and asked him some questions, then declared Zuko fit to play.

He stood to the cheering from the crowd, and went to take his penalty shot. Turns out the referee had caught Mako deliberately shoving Zuko to the ground as he ran. Zuko took a few steps back and then ran forward, kicking the ball as hard as he could and watched it sail through the goal posts.

Halftime was called after the penalty, and Zuko’s team trudged back to the changing rooms.

“I’m gonna kill that piece of fuckery for shoving you Zuko” Rheynis yelled as he paced the changing room, only stopping when Elliah pulled him into his seat.

“How’s your wrist Zuko?” Kei Lo asked, and Zuko inspected it.

“I think it’s okay”

“You think or you know?” Irina pressed. “Hide is off with a concussion, we cannot afford to lose another player, especially the scrum half who happens to be the Captain”

“Come on guys, I’m the Firelord, it takes more than a shove to take me out” Zuko grinned at his teammates. “Now, I’ve got a plan”

With the plan explained, and Hide on the bench, the team took to the field again. They were on the attack this time and they all vowed that once they were through with the Fire Ferrets no spirit alive would be able to save them from the ass kicking they were about to get.

There were five minutes left in the game. The score was sixty six to sixty, and Zuko’s team was winning.

Lee was currently in possession of the ball, with Jay running alongside him. Rheynis, Elliah and Kei Lo were behind, and Zuko was in the middle of all of them. They were bearing down on the Fire Ferrets’ defences, and Mako was blocking the try line.

“Now!” Zuko yelled over the roaring of the crowd and Lee passed the ball back to him. Zuko caught it deftly, and Kei Lo whistled loudly three times, the signal that the three of them were still running behind him. There came a whistle from Rheynis and Zuko knew that the opposing centres were tailing them.

Now there was only Mako at the try line. Every other one of his defences were bearing down on the four running towards their try line. “Rheynis! Elliah!” Zuko yelled, and he heard the thudding of bodies hitting the ground. Rheynis and Elliah had tackled the centres tailing them. However, Kei Lo had been taken out by the opposing Stand-off half.

It was just Zuko and Mako. Good.

Zuko took one last look into the stands. He could see Sokka yelling at the field, egging Zuko on, pumping the air with his fists and yelling  _ Firelord _ along with everyone else. Hahn had better have a good reason not to be here. Spurned on by the anger at his boyfriend’s absence, the adrenaline pumping through his veins at a rate of knots and the chanting of the audience, Zuko poured on the speed and glared at Mako.

The bastard was looking like he was getting ready for a tackle. His legs were wide apart, his arms outstretched, ready to run at the drop of a coin and take Zuko out.

If anyone were to ask Zuko where this sudden idea came from, he wouldn’t be able to tell them. He winked at Mako and dropped down to the floor when he was a hair's breadth away from the opposition, and slid through Mako’s legs, accidentally hooking one of his ankles on the way, making the Republic City player fall arse first onto the ground.

Zuko lay on his back, one hand on the ball, firmly over the try line. The time was called a second later. They had won with seventy points to their name.

Before Zuko knew it he was being hoisted up onto the shoulders of his teammates and the commentator was announcing the scores. His team carried him to the centre of the field, and with a heaving chest, and a sense of pride flooding every vein in his body, Zuko made a fist and thrust it into the air.

The crowd screamed louder, and the Fire Nation cheer squad had joined the audience in chanting  _ Firelord, Firelord, Firelord _ over and over. Zuko was sat on the shoulders of his team after the best try he had ever scored in his life. 

And Zuko couldn’t have been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I tried really hard to make this chapter live up to the hype and seem fast paced and keep the readers on the edge of their seats but I doubt it worked.
> 
> Thank you for reading anyways, and I'll see y'all in the next chapter to celebrate the greatest win of Zuko's life.
> 
> Leave some kudos to get Hide through his concussion.


	5. Still We're Inglorious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rugby team just scored their best win yet, and it's time to kick back and celebrate with some noodles.
> 
> Or so we thought! (If anyone gets the horrible histories reference here please be my friend)
> 
> Y'all know there's gotta be some drama going on because come on, it's ME writing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter could be triggering because there's a description of sensory overload, but It's right at the end after Hahn shows up. If that's something that will be problematic for you then I will not be offended if you skip this chapter and I'll see you in the next one.
> 
> Stay safe y'all.

Zuko grinned up at the crowd and thrust his left fist into the air. He felt the cheering wash over him and it seemed every single person was shouting  _ Firelord _ as his team paraded Zuko around the pitch on their shoulders. All Zuko could do was smile wider and without realising it, look up at Sokka. He could have sworn he could hear Sokka shouting louder than all of the rest. The boys locked eyes and Zuko realised that his try wasn’t just a goal. It was a promise that this year was going to be good. For all of them.

The team carried Zuko on their shoulders all the way to the changing rooms. Once they got to the door he was deposited on the floor and they all entered the room. Zuko had a huge grin on his face as the team all clapped him on the back as they passed him on the way to their seats. He could feel his face aching from smiling so much.

As soon as Zuko had sat down on the bench and taken off his shoes, he felt a dull ache in his left wrist. He brushed it off, figuring it usually ached after practice, it just happens when one has a preexisting injury. He flexed his fingers a bit and rotated his hand to loosen the joint slightly. 

The sounds of everyone talking about his impressive final try sounded muffled and far away as the dull ache turned progressively sharper. He flexed his fingers a little more and felt a shooting pain up his wrist. Zuko clutched his hand and held it in close to his abdomen, curling his knees up into his chest, bare feet digging into the slats in the changing room bench.

As he continued to draw breath in through gritted teeth, the screaming of the people in the audience and the footfalls of the pitchside medics from long ago echoed around Zuko’s head. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing it would all go away. Silently cursing the Earth Kingdom brute that had tackled him into the dirt, causing irreparable damage to his left hand.

“Zuko? Are you okay?” Irina’s voice cut through the pain, rousing Zuko long enough to stare into the concerned eyes of his teammate, before dropping his head back down into his upright foetal position. “Zuko!” Zuko whipped his head back up, the fight to keep the pain off his face completely lost and forgotten now as he scrunched his features up and let an agonised groan escape him. “Do you need to go to hospital?” Irina fixed him with one of those looks that told Zuko if he denied needing the hospital he’d be skewered. No matter how cool his try was.

“Agni fuck what do you fucking think?” Zuko all but screamed, somehow curling in on himself even further.

“Alright, there’s a reason I’ve been deemed the dad friend” Irina straightened up and every person in the room laid their attention on him, except Zuko of course. “Rheynis, call Hahn and tell him to get his ass to the hospital” Rheynis nodded and fished Zuko’s phone out of his bag. “Jay go get Azula and Sokka” Jay ran out the room in the direction of the spectators. While all of this was going on around him, Zuko had his head on his knees, was covered in sweat and his chest was heaving. Every breath came out ragged and strained. “Walk me through exactly what happened Zuko, and I know that you find it hard but look at me while you talk”

“We came into the changing room” Zuko started, unable to bring his head up from where he had curled in on himself. “I sat down” he heaved in another breath, drinking in oxygen desperately. “And my wrist started hurting” Zuko grunted out.

“What happened to my idiot brother?” Azula’s sharp voice cut through Zuko’s agonised stupor like a knife through butter. Irina walked her and Sokka through what happened, while Zuko sat in unfathomable pain.

“I bet when Mako shoved him it aggravated his injury” Sokka sat down next to Zuko. “Okay Hotshot, me and Azula are gonna take you to the hospital and this whole shit is gonna get sorted out” Zuko nodded weakly and let his sister and his friend lift him to his feet, being careful not to jog his hand. They decided that it would be best to remove Zuko’s shirt and use it as a temporary rudimentary sling until they got to the hospital.

Once he was in the car Zuko let his head loll against the window, relieved by the cool glass on his burning forehead. Azula was driving and he could vaguely make out the road signs as they passed by the car. Zuko knew he was letting out a weak groaning noise every now and then, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to stop.

He could have sworn he could feel Sokka’s fingers brushing one of his hands, almost holding them. In fact, he could still feel Sokka’s fingers brushing his while they sat in the hospital waiting room. “You’ll be okay Zuko, you’ve had worse” Zuko cracked an eye open and looked up at Sokka from where his head was resting on his friend’s shoulder. “You’ll be alright” Zuko wanted to believe him.

“Zuko Pyre” Sokka helped Zuko stand when they heard his name called. Azula was told either she or Sokka could go in with Zuko. Azula volunteered to stay in the waiting room.

A few hours of a doctor poking and prodding at his wrist later, Zuko and Sokka walked out to the waiting room and went over to where Azula was still sitting.

“About time you two showed up” Azula drawled before standing up. “So what’s up with your problematic wrist this time?”

“It’s not broken” Zuko smiled when he saw Azula visibly relax and breathe a sigh of relief. “I’ve got really deep bruising on one of the tiny little bones in the back of my hand called the… what was it called Sokka?”

“Oh, you poor gay himbo, it’s the lunate Zuko” Sokka smiled.

“Yes, very deep bruising on the lunate” Zuko grinned at his sister who promptly rolled her eyes.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’m hungry and the team is celebrating at  _ Uncle Roku’s Noodle House _ , it’s not a celebration without their Firelord” Azula said, smiling and waving her hand slightly as she walked off. Zuko and Sokka smiled at each other and followed Azula.

When the trio reached the restaurant a cheer went up, and Zuko smiled at the sight of his team sitting around a table piled to the brim with noodles. “Hey there Firelord” Kei Lo greeted Zuko, holding a bowl out to him. Zuko went to take the bowl with his left hand, but stopped at the sight of the dark red splint. Zuko sighed and switched hands, taking the bowl and sitting down between Sokka and Azula.

“Okay, we need to talk about this insane try” coach Jee spoke up over the riotous laughter. “Zuko what the hell was going through that genius brain of yours when you slid between Mako’s legs?”

“I don’t really know, but it felt great!” Zuko smiled. “Sliding between his legs and planting the ball down over the try line was insane! And the whole crowd shouting  _ Firelord _ was so surreal” Zuko was aware he was talking through mouthfuls of noodles and if his grandfather knew he’d be spinning in his grave, but fuck it! He had scored the best try of his life, he deserved to ditch his table etiquette for a while.

“It was so cool! Did you mean to drag Mako down on his ass?” Hide asked.

“Nah that was just a happy accident” Zuko let a lopsided grin settle on his face. “It felt good though”

“What’s your grievance with Mako?” Azula asked.

“He’s annoying!” Zuko placed his empty noodle bowl on the table and reached for a menu to see if there was a spicier one on offer. “Plus he said some really horrible stuff about our family” Zuko regretted that as soon as it was out of his mouth because when he looked over at Azula a dark look had settled on her face.

“What did he say?” Azula’s voice was dangerously even.

“I’ll tell you on the condition you promise not to kill or injure Mako in any way shape or form” Zuko fixed Azula with a stern look. “Oh and you aren’t allowed to find a loophole” Zuko had learned to add that last bit the hard way.

“Okay fine, in the eyes of Agni I accept your conditions” the siblings locked their pinky fingers together and shook on it to seal the deal.

“Irina had to hold me back from killing Mako when he said this” Zuko prefaced. “He said that you and I were gonna turn out exactly like Ozai and end up rotting in prison with him” in his whole life Zuko had never seen Azula’s face go through the motions of anger so quickly before now.

“Agni fucking wept what a shitty thing to say” Azula griped, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. “Next time I see him it’s not gonna end well”

“Nope, you swore an oath” Zuko smiled smugly over the top of his cup of jasmine tea.

The group ate and chatted idly for a few more minutes before Rheynis came up with an interesting question. “Was Hahn at the hospital with you Zuko?”

Zuko set his now empty tea cup on the table. “No. He wasn’t”

“Despite me phoning him from your phone and telling him to be there” Rheynis raised his eyebrow, leaning forward on the table.

“Look it isn’t a big deal” before Zuko could continue he was cut off by Kei Lo.

“He’s your boyfriend dumbass! He’s meant to come to your rugby games and watch you score an epic try, and come to the hospital when you get hurt” Kei Lo scolded him and Zuko suddenly felt a bit sick. “Why did he miss the game today? Or did he not give you a reason?”

“He had to work today” Zuko sighed.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but he finishes work in the morning, and it’s a summer job that should be tapering off by now” somehow nothing got past Rheynis. The boy was smart as a whip. 

“How is some shitty summer job more important than coming to watch your boyfriend play a game he’s shit hot at?”

“Good question Uko, here’s your answer it isn’t” Zuko jumped slightly at the sound of Rinzuk slamming his hand down on the table.

“Hey y’all might wanna shut up” Sokka piped up. “Hahn’s walking in the door right now”

Zuko looked up from his refilled cup of tea and saw his boyfriend walking through the door. He got up and threw his arms around Hahn, burying his face in his boyfriend’s neck. Zuko was thankful Sokka had made him shower and clean up before going to the hospital.

“Hey beautiful” Hahn smiled at Zuko, and leaned in for a kiss. “You went to the hospital, what happened?”

“I took a bad tackle and it aggravated an old injury, nothing major” Zuko smiled at his boyfriend and went in for another kiss, ignoring Sokka’s stupid gagging behind him.

“Well, I think we should go back to my place and celebrate” on the last word Hahn wiggled his eyebrows, and Zuko instantly caught on to what he meant. “We can talk about how you won your game after I reward you for playing brilliantly” Zuko wormed his way out of Hahn’s embrace.

Zuko opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Fortunately, this was normal for him. When Zuko had a lot of thoughts swirling around in his brain in a vortex of chaos, he often found himself intimidated by them, and was thrust into silence. His friends knew this and didn’t pressure him to talk to them about what was going on. Just patiently waited for him to be able to speak.

“Baby? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Zuko suddenly remembered that he hadn’t told Hahn about his nonverbal moments yet, and desperately tried to speak but any words that he came up with died on his tongue. “Zuko, talk to me babe” 

Something unexplainable seemed to shift. Zuko felt sick, and his head was killing him. The pet names, the bright lights in the room, the voices of the other patrons, the breathing of the people near him, and there was some sort of buzzing somewhere? It was too much and Zuko fell further and further into the nonverbal pit.

“Hahn, look” Sokka started, but Hahn cut him off.

“Stay out of this Sokka!” Hahn’s voice was firm and he rounded on Zuko and looked him dead in the eye. The firm tone and now the eye contact, yep, Zuko was definitely going to throw up. “Baby” Hahn’s voice was ice cold. “It’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you” Hahn gripped Zuko’s chin between his fingers.

Something snapped inside Zuko’s mind. He tried to wrestle free, but the fingers on his chin held him firmly in place. His breaths were coming in the same ragged pattern they had been before the hospital, and suddenly it seemed like the walls were too close, and the ceiling was too low, and the buzzing, seriously where the fuck was that weirdo buzzing noise coming from? Someone was talking to Zuko, maybe it was Azula. Hell if he knew.

“Fine! If you would rather celebrate with your team than your boyfriend then have it your way” Hahn hissed. “Oh, and by the way” he gestured with his head at Rheynis. “That one threatened me over the phone, I forget his name, something stupid like Reneir” Hahn’s voice sounded almost like his words were undercut with laughter.

Rheynis planted his hands on the table and shot out of his seat, but Elliah pulled him back down and Zuko could practically feel him seething behind him.

Hahn still had Zuko’s chin in a tight grip between his fingers. “See Zuko, everyone on your shitty team hates me” Zuko tried to speak but all that came out was a strained  _ I _ . “You have three seconds to answer me, or I’m leaving” Zuko’s chin was released and he tried desperately to get past the nonverbal barrier, but in the end he couldn’t. He bowed his head in defeat and accepted he’d lost the battle.

Hahn marched out the door, leaving Zuko in a nonverbal chasm feeling sick and helpless. Someone guided him down into a chair and placed a cup of fire lily tea in his hands. The bright lights in the room burned his eyes, the hushed voices of the other patrons grated on every nerve in his body, there was a stabbing sensation in his gut, the nausea was still present and the splitting headache was making his head throb.

And the fucking buzzing sound was still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know it feels like that whole nonverbal sensory overload bit seemed like it came out of nowhere, but the truth is it just does.   
> I’m autistic and often experience nonverbal episodes and if people try to make me talk every single sound in the room that normally seems inconsequential and doesn’t bother me is turned up to eleven.   
> I usually pick up on lights making a buzzing sound or sometimes if there’s a radio I can hear the static.  
> Normally those sounds are annoying, now imagine it feels like they’re on max volume and happening right next to your head.
> 
> Anyways PSA over, make sure to let me know what you think of my modern AU so far in the comments. I've had this idea in my head for months I'm so glad I can finally get it out of my head and into everyone else's.  
> Alright, that's all from me, the next chapter will be up later tonight if not tomorrow.


	6. I Spilt Wine All on My White Tee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's party time bitches
> 
> As fun as parties are there is a bit of a trigger warning due here.  
> Zuko gets very drunk and it leads to some drunk funny business between him and Hahn and Zuko is too out of it to consent. If that will bother you or trigger you please skip this chapter or only read up to where it gets sectioned.
> 
> Alright, on with the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You can’t put two patterns together it doesn’t work, doesn’t your gay ass know anything?”
> 
> “I’m not a fashionable gay, I’m a stupid gay!” Zuko was getting frustrated and ready to just give up at this point, but he’d made the mistake of roping Azula in, and she would definitely not let him give up.

Maybe if Zuko didn’t currently have his head buried in his wardrobe he would have got to his phone quicker. But by the time he’d pulled himself out of the mountain of clothes in his wardrobe, the rugby team’s group chat had gone off on one. He really couldn’t leave them alone for five minutes, could he?

_Message from: ‘Zuko has a boner for the Harlequins’_  
 _Mr Bump: @Snack master can you get some of those chocolate covered breadstick thingies?_

_The mayo: Hide, do you mean pocky?_

_Mr Bump: That’s exactly what I mean, Chan! Also, Zuko if your dumb ass is paying attention fuck you for changing my name to Mr Bump, I got concussed one time!_

_Dad friend: It was funny though. Rinzuk left his phone but we’re on the way to the shop and he said he’ll make sure to get pocky for you Hide_

_Mr Bump: Thank you Irina!_

_Zuko simp: Chan Is Fire Whiskey okay with you for the party tonight?_   
_~ Rheynis_

_The mayo: Rheynis you fucking boomer you don’t have to sign your texts! Also yes Fire Whiskey is fine just get as much alcohol as you can_

_Zuko simp: I know I don’t have to sign my texts, but it pisses you all off and that’s all I want in life_   
_~ Rheynis_

_The mayo: Imma smack him_

_Firelord: No one is smacking Rheynis you fucking dumbasses what the hell would we do without Irina?_

_Kei Lo: die I guess_   
_Kei Lo: @The mayo thanks for throwing this party tonight btw Chan I can’t wait to see Zuko get drunk_

_Firelord: I do not claim responsibility for drunk Zuko_

_Mr Bump: @Firelord retribution time u bitch!_

_Mr Bump changed Kei Lo’s name to ‘Zuko’s gay awakening’_

_Firelord: Dang you really had to do me like that huh?_

_Zuko’s gay awakening: It’s true though_   
_Zuko’s gay awakening: I’m so sexy it made u realise ur gay_

_Firelord: You say that like it’s hard to realise I’m gay_

Zuko decided he’d had enough of his idiot teammates and turned back to examining his clothing choices. “Azula?” He called out when he heard his sister’s footsteps going past his room. The footsteps stopped and Azula’s head appeared peering past Zuko’s doorframe.

“You’re interrupting Rick and Morty this had better be good” she said as she stepped into Zuko’s room, clutching a few packets of fire flakes and fire gummies.  
“Chan is holding a party tonight to celebrate the rugby team getting a win” Zuko said. “I wanted to do something crazy for the party but I cannot for the life of me work out what to do” he explained to Azula, who looked way too thoughtful for Zuko’s liking.

“Come to my room, bring whatever clothes you’ve already picked out and me, Mai and Ty Lee will help you” Azula said, turning on her heel and beckoning Zuko to follow her to her bedroom. Zuko hadn’t picked out any clothes so he just settled for following Azula to his certain doom.

When Zuko stepped into his sister’s room he was met with the sight of her pulling clothes out of her wardrobe. If she was thinking of what Zuko suspected then he was suddenly unsure of asking for Azula’s help with anything ever again.

“Okay, Zuzu, here are some things that will probably fit you” Azula said after dumping some clothes on the bed. Narrowly avoiding whacking Mai in the leg with a coathanger.  
Zuko perused the items and eventually settled on a red plaid skirt and a red floral t-shirt.

“Zuko are you mad?” Zuko turned abruptly to his sister.

“What have I done now?”

“You can’t put two patterns together it doesn’t work, doesn’t your gay ass know anything?”

“I’m not a fashionable gay, I’m a stupid gay!” Zuko was getting frustrated and ready to just give up at this point, but he’d made the mistake of roping Azula in, and she would definitely not let him give up.

“You’ve got that right” Mai gave him a small twitch of her lips, which in her own way meant she was joking with him.

“Here” Azula thrust some items towards him and gestured to her bathroom, indicating he could change his clothes in there.

Zuko entered the bathroom and shut the door. He took the clothes off the hanger and pulled the black turtleneck over his head. Okay, that one fit him, and showed off his muscles quite nicely if Zuko even slightly tensed his arm. He may be the straightest gay man he knew.

Once Zuko had pulled on the red shorts and the black knee high socks he exited the bathroom. “How do I look?” He asked the girls.

“You look good, but we can do better” Azula said, immediately turning to rifle through her wardrobe for more clothes while Ty Lee pulled something out of a drawer.  
Azula handed him more clothes and ushered him back into the bathroom.

Zuko got to work removing the clothes that Azula had vetoed and laid out the new ones he’d been presented with. He thought the best place to start would be the yellow cropped hoodie. He pulled it over his head and it fit him. It was shorter on him than it would be on Azula, but otherwise it fit fine.

He turned to the red skater skirt and pulled it over his hips. When he ran his hands over the material he likened it to felt, albeit less fuzzy, and he was surprised at how soft it was. While he was exploring the material he came across some deep pockets up near the waistband. He could fit his whole hands in them.

Zuko picked up the last item and inspected it. It seemed to be a pair of socks. When Zuko put the socks on he discovered they came up to his thighs. He walked out of the bathroom and was immediately met with wolf whistles from the three girls.

“You look great Zukes” Ty Lee said, laying her head in Mai’s lap.

“Azula, the heels on my boots broke, do we have the same size feet?” Zuko asked.

“Yes we do, and yes you can borrow my shoes” Azula smiled. “But you really need more than one pair of heels Zuzu”

“Yeah, I know” Zuko griped, grabbing his phone when he heard it beeping incessantly. Turned out it was Sokka telling him to get his ass to the party. How did Sokka weasel his way into the party? Zuko swore blind that boy could make friends with any living person on the planet. “Gotta go!” Zuko hugged Azula and Ty Lee before running out of the room waving in Mai’s direction.

“Zuko! You look so pretty” his mother teased, just as Zuko had finished pulling on the high heeled boots he was borrowing from Azula.

“Thanks mother” Zuko said, quickly hugging his mother before grabbing his keys from where they sat in a dish by the door. “Bye uncle!” Zuko called out, knowing his uncle was in the house somewhere.

“You look lovely nephew” Zuko grinned at his uncle. “Have fun at the party tonight, and please be the sophisticated and responsible young man I know you can be” Zuko promised his uncle he would be responsible.

“Zuzu are you a princess now?” Zuko smiled at the sight of his little sister Kiyi approaching him and he scooped her up into his arms. Her only being six years old, and him being a rugby player made this an easy task.

“You know what, Kiyi, I would love to be a princess” Zuko smiled at the adorable little girl in his arms. “Maybe you could teach me how, you’re the best and prettiest princess I know” Zuko had no idea where his innate ability to interact with little children came from, but fuck it. He wasn’t complaining.

Zuko placed Kiyi down, and ran out to his car. He got in, selected a random driving playlist and turned on the engine. Zuko went to press the clutch down, then realised driving in heels was a little difficult. Eventually he took the shoes off. He placed the heels on the passenger seat and set off for Ember Island.

“There must be something worth living for” Zuko sang along to the music blaring out of the speakers as he drove along, almost telling himself that considering he was already bored out of his mind from the speed limit. “There must be something worth trying for, even some things worth dying for” one of the few things Zuko enjoyed about driving in thirty mile an hour zones was he could sort of dance to the music and not really risk crashing the car. “And if just one man could stand tall, there would be some hope for us all, somewhere, somewhere in the Spirit of man”

An hour of driving later Zuko arrived at Chan’s house and got to work putting the heels back on before getting out of the car. When Zuko entered the house he could hear ‘Daisy’ playing over the speaker system he and Ruon-Jian helped Chan install in his house a few months ago.

In fact when Zuko entered the house he could feel what felt like every eye in the room trained on him. He was starting to feel uneasy about his dress choice and focused on finding Sokka or anyone from the team.

Eventually Zuko found Sokka tucked in the corner with Jet. “Hey Sokka” Zuko called, tapping his friend on the shoulder.

“Hey Zuko! Woah you look amazing, what the fuck prompted this?” If there was one thing Zuko loved about Sokka it was the way he gave compliments.

“Hey Firelord, looking good” Jet sauntered up and Zuko smiled.

“Not bad yourself Freedom Fighter” Zuko flicked his eyes up and down Jet’s outfit. As per usual he looked like your typical 1950s greaser.

“Hey, Zuko? Sokka?” Both boys turned to see Irina beckoning them to follow him to the middle of the room. They shrugged at each other and elected to follow Irina. “Stand right here” he said before walking off. Neither Zuko nor Sokka knew why they had been placed in the centre of a flock of people, but when they heard the iconic start of the next song, they knew exactly why.

‘ _Choke me like you hate me_ ’  
Zuko and Sokka winked at each other before launching into the first move which involved each of them bringing both hands up to grip their own necks.

‘ _But you love me_ ’  
They made a heart symbol with their hands and brought it up to their own chests.

‘ _Lowkey, wanna date m_ e’  
The boys directed their pointer fingers at the floor and bounced their hands thrice.

‘ _When you fuck me_ ’  
The boys grinned as they thrust their hips forward while bringing their arms back.

‘ _She got death notes_ ’  
The boys made the charade motion for opening a book.

‘ _Dead souls_ ’  
They brought their left arm up so their closed fist was to the left of their head.

‘Split dye’  
Same on the right.

‘ _Chain cold_ ’  
One exaggerated sway of their hips.

‘Think I fell in love when she said grab me by the neck tho’  
The boys rolled their bodies forward before snapping back up and putting one hand around their own neck.

‘ _She just looking thru my soul with those Shinigami eyes_ ’  
They put up two fingers in front of their eyes and rocked them back and forth.

‘Coke in my nose and a blade on her thigh’  
The boys brought both pointer fingers up to rest on the tip of their noses, then kicked a leg up and clapped their hands together under their thighs. Zuko noted how much easier this was in a skirt.

‘ _Choke me like you hate me_ ’  
The boys turned to each other and smiled as they wrapped their own fingers round the other’s neck. Sokka could have sworn he would have died right there and then and he would be a happy man.

‘But you love me’  
They made the same heart motion from earlier, but this time facing each other.

‘ _Lowkey, wanna date me_ ’  
This time the boys pointed at each other and swayed their hips slightly. Sokka would swear up and down that the hip swaying was a Zuko idea. But he would be a liar.

‘Touch me with the lights off, and my chains on’  
Zuko and Sokka touched both palms to the opposite shoulder and trailed their arms down until their hands rested on their hips, before quickly outstretching upturned palms, and then flipping their hands so their palms faced the floor.

‘ _Baby, I’m not the right one you should wait on_ ’  
The boys jumped round so they were facing forward, and rocked their pointer fingers from side to side, then placed their fingertips under their chins, while giving one exaggerated sway of their hips.

The song came to a close, and both Zuko and Sokka were left breathing rapidly with huge dopey grins spread across their faces. Before either could respond Zuko felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Hahn. “Hello” he decided he’d better greet his boyfriend.

“Hi, Zuko” Hahn started. “We should talk about yesterday” he gripped Zuko by the hands, and Zuko could feel Jet and Sokka eyeing them both.

“I should apologise” Zuko said and Hahn looked slightly shocked. “I didn’t tell you about my nonverbal episodes, I don’t blame you for freaking out” Zuko took one of his hands back and started to click his fingers softly, timing it so each click was five seconds apart. “We good?” He asked hopefully, not wanting to lose his boyfriend right out the gate.

“It’s alright, Zuko” Hahn smiled. “We good” Zuko was kinda expecting an apology directed at him, but he assumed Hahn was gonna make it up to him later. “I gotta go say hi to some of the Northern Water Tribe guys but I promise I’ll be back later” Hahn said, grabbing Zuko by the upper arms and planting a kiss to his forehead before disappearing into the crowd.

Zuko waved slightly at his boyfriend’s retreating back before turning to Kei Lo, who had randomly appeared next to him at some point. “Me and Jet need you and Sokka for beer pong, your boyfriend brought it from the North” Kei Lo gave his eyebrows a wiggle. “That’s how you know it’s quality beer” Zuko smiled and relented to Kei Lo, following him and Sokka to the table where beer pong had been set up and Jet was waiting, throwing a ping pong ball up and catching it repeatedly.

Zuko and Sokka stood at one end of the table, staring their opposition down. Zuko shot Sokka a wink and put his arm behind his back. He lined up his shot and chucked the ping pong ball, cheering when it went in. He and Sokka employed their victory dance and drank a shot to celebrate.

“Uh losers? We’re meant to drink, not you” Jet smirked before chugging the beer the ball landed in.

“Ever heard of a celebratory shot, Freedom fighter?” Zuko smirked while high fiving Sokka.

“Oh you are going down Firelord” true to his word, Jet and Kei Lo beat Zuko and Sokka soundly. Though Zuko got in plenty of victory shots before getting his ass kicked thoroughly. At some point, the music changed from typical party music to pirate sea shanties. “Ser Pyre, may I have this dance?” Zuko turned to see Jet bowing to him.

“You may, my good Freedom fighter” Zuko smiled and curtsied before taking Jet by the hand and pulling him towards him. “By the way” Zuko was slurring his words and he knew it, but he had a thought in his head and by Agni, he was going to get it out of his mouth. “The way you said Sir was how you’d refer to a knight, not an upper class man”

“Oh, my deepest apologies, Sir Pyre” Jet really enunciated, and Zuko gave him a good natured scowl in return.

“I have an idea” Zuko whispered in Jet’s ear.

“Oh yeah?” Jet said, taking Zuko by the hand and leading them in a circle.

“Have you ever seen Titanic?” Jet nodded and Zuko smiled. “You reckon we could do the third class dancing scene?” Another nod from Jet.

Zuko smiled and Jet launched into his part of the dance. Putting his hands in his pockets and tapping his feet like a madman as everyone around them clapped. Zuko stood with his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his foot to the sea shanty playing loudly in the background. If he put his drunk mind to it Zuko could identify it as Bring out Your Dead by Ye Banished Privateers.

Jet’s part was over, but before Zuko could clutch the hem of his skirt and tap his feet to the music, someone grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him round. “What do you think you’re doing Zuko?” Hahn hissed.

“Dancing?” Was all Zuko’s alcohol addled brain could spit out. He was certain his breath reeked of spiced rum, and he was swaying.

“How drunk are you?” Zuko was sure Hahn was glaring at him, but at this point his thought process was so fuzzy all he could do was grin stupidly at his boyfriend. “Okay, judging from your response I’m gonna assume you’re thoroughly hammered” Zuko vaguely registered Hahn grabbing him by the hand, and before he knew it he was being dragged away from a rather confused Jet. “I’ve got something that’ll sober you up”

“I scored the best try of my life” Zuko was stopped in his tracks. Why did thinking of that try make him feel sicker than Toph on a boat? “I deserve to be pissed off my ass” Zuko was sort of aware of what was coming out of his mouth but that didn’t mean any of it made any sense to anyone but himself.

Eventually Hahn led Zuko into an empty bedroom, and sat him down on the bed. He crossed his legs and felt the mattress dip as Hahn sat down next to him. “Sup” Zuko grinned dumbly at his boyfriend.

“We need to talk” uh oh. “Why were you dancing with Jet? Am I not enough for you, beautiful?” Zuko could feel his heart trying to escape out of his face at the sound of that sentence.

“You are enough” Zuko was way too drunk to be having this conversation. He could barely think past the fuzziness of his mind.

* * *

-~-

“I’m enough to make you feel good right?” Hahn whispered in Zuko’s ear as he started to kiss and nip at his neck.

“W-what are you doing?” Zuko asked as he felt Hahn’s hand travel up under the hem of his hoodie and come to rest on his chest.

“Making you feel good baby” Hahn didn’t wait for confirmation, he ghosted his fingertips down Zuko’s chest and traced the line of his skirt waistband. “You gonna let me do that Ko?”

Zuko could barely keep his eyes open or think at all, nevermind clearly, and if he did register Hahn holding the hem of his skirt then he sure as hell didn’t feel like it. In fact it only popped into his head when the bottom of the skirt was flipped up to expose his boxers.

Zuko took in a deep shuddering breath as Hahn’s fingers deftly worked their way into his underwear. He vaguely recalled the feeling Sokka had described when Zuko had asked him about his first time in a fleeting moment of curiosity. Didn’t mean he could remember what Sokka told him, or could feel it himself.

Zuko tried to focus only on Hahn’s fingers working him over, and the filth that was being whispered into his good ear, but it was futile when he realised he was far too drunk to be able to perform in the way Hahn wanted him to.

-~-

* * *

“Hahn and Zuko have been gone for a while” Sokka turned to Jet and realised he had been thinking the same thing.  
“Should we look for them?” Sokka asked, and Jet nodded.

The boys made their way around the party, looking for any sign of Zuko or Hahn. Eventually they came across Kei Lo. “Have you seen two idiots around anywhere?” Sokka asked.

“Haven’t seen them, sorry man” Kei Lo sipped his drink and turned to walk away but Jet grabbed hold of his arm.

“What does the rugby team think of Hahn?” Jet asked.

“We all think he’s an asshole” Hide said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

Before Sokka could throw his opinion in the ring, he saw Hahn walking down the stairs and out the door. Without Zuko. Sokka and Jet shared a look that was half disgust and half fear. Sokka hadn’t known Jet for long but he sensed that the guy was fiercely protective of those he cared about, and he seemed to care about Zuko a lot. They both booked it up the stairs in search of Zuko.

It wasn’t long before Jet knocked on a bedroom door and told Sokka he heard someone on the other side groaning. They opened the door slowly and were horrified at what they found on the other side.

Sokka immediately ran over to the bed and checked to see if Zuko was actually breathing. Given how lifeless he looked laying on the bed like a ragdoll it definitely wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found out Zuko was in fact breathing. Sokka and Jet decided they needed to get him home.

“Help me take him downstairs and put him in the Lotus and I’ll make sure he gets home” Sokka told Jet. “Usually he keeps his keys secured to his belt loops but this skirt doesn’t have any” Sokka scanned the room as he lifted Zuko’s left arm over his shoulders. He eventually found the keys in the chest pocket on Zuko’s hoodie and fished them out.

“Do you think he’s passed out because he’s drunk?” Jet asked. “You don’t think Hahn could have done something to him do you?”  
“He kept taking victory shots and got thrashed at beer pong” Sokka said. “He’s definitely blackout drunk, I’m not convinced Hahn did anything to him” Sokka and Jet had finally got Zuko down the stairs and through the front door.

Sokka spied where Zuko had parked the Lotus and he and Jet got to work on getting him in the car. “Take care of him Sokka, and make sure you’re sober enough to drive”

While Sokka had been drinking, he felt stone cold sober right now. He nodded at Jet before he got in the driver’s seat.

“Sokka?” They had been driving for a while and for the most part Zuko had been quiet, but now his strained voice pulled Sokka out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Sokka responded.

“Don’t tell anyone” Zuko sounded on the verge of tears, and he had undertones of shame drifting through his voice. Leading Sokka to wonder exactly what Hahn had done.

“Tell anyone what?” Sokka did his best to keep his voice even.

“What I did” yup. Zuko definitely sounded ashamed.

“Don’t worry buddy, I won’t” Sokka assured his friend.

“Good. Everyone will think I’m a whore” Zuko’s voice was so quiet that Sokka was sure if he wasn’t paying rapt attention to his friend he would have missed what Zuko said.

Before Sokka could respond Spooky Scary Skeletons started coming out of the car’s speakers, and he had to stifle a laugh.

“Zuko, this is really not the vibe” Sokka was suppressing fits of giggles at this point, and was relieved to hear Zuko laughing as well.

“‘M sorry” Zuko mumbled, fiddling with the hem of his skirt and leaning his head on the window. Sokka took a moment when they stopped at a red light to look over at his friend. Zuko looked as pale as death. This wasn’t going to be a fun night for him.

“It’s alright, you’re just a shit DJ” Sokka gave Zuko a sad smile and attempted to lift his mood a little with some classic Sokka humour.

“I should be driving while you DJ” Zuko cracked a small smile, and drew his knees up to his chest while hugging his arms over his middle.

“Yeah, but I’m not the one who drank so hard he saw Agni” Sokka smirked.

“Wait what about your car?” Zuko slurred, sitting up slightly. Sokka put a hand on his arm to let him know that was a really bad idea. Zuko would be better off leaning against the window.

“Zuko, please” Sokka gave his friend a halfhearted grin. “Who’s gonna steal a beat up Daewoo Kalos?”

“How is your car so fucked?” Zuko attempted to crack a smile, but stopped when it was clearly discomforting for him.

“Because there isn’t a ditch in the Southern Water Tribe that it hasn’t visited” Sokka sometimes wondered if he was too proud of how many times he’d binned a car in the few short months he’d been driving. “Your car was way more likely to get nicked if we’d left it, I’m happy to go fetch mine tomorrow”

Zuko turned his head slightly and flashed Sokka a small smile. Sokka returned the smile.

A little while later they reached Zuko’s house and Sokka parked the Lotus on the street, electing not to reverse into the tight space between Ursa and Azula’s cars.

The space wasn’t normally this small, but Sokka found out why the space was so tight when he saw another car next to Iroh’s. Must be Lu Ten’s. Sokka called Azula’s phone and saw her poke her head out of her bedroom window.

Sokka realised he must look quite odd to Azula, he was getting out of her brother’s car, which he had elected to park on the street, with said brother hanging off his shoulder. Azula’s head disappeared back into her window and a second later she flung the front door open.

“Alright, what happened to the idiot?” Azula’s words sounded mean but Sokka knew she was actually concerned about Zuko.

“Blackout drunk” Sokka informed her, and she took Zuko’s other arm over her shoulders. Helping Sokka take him up the stairs.

The two managed to get Zuko up to his bedroom and Azula helped Sokka deposit him on the bed. Sokka got him into pyjamas and assured Azula he’d take care of Zuko, and she fixed him with a look that told him that she would definitely murder him if Zuko came to any sort of harm.

Sokka pulled the duvet up over Zuko and turned to leave the room, but stopped when he felt something on his arm. He turned his head to see Zuko grabbing his wrist. There were tears in his eyes. “Don’t go” he whispered.

“Okay” Sokka smiled and sat next to Zuko on the bed. He looked down at his friend, still clinging to his wrist, and had an idea. Drunk words are sober thoughts. Or so the saying goes. “Do you love Hahn?” Sokka asked.

Zuko pondered for a moment. “No” he whispered in a shaky voice and Sokka felt his heart doing backflips in his chest.

“Really?” He asked, wanting to be sure that Zuko said what Sokka thought he said.

“Well… I guess that’s the thing with relationships” Zuko was speaking slowly in a way that Sokka knew all too well. He was trying to avoid a nonverbal episode. “You have to be dating for a while before you’re sure you love them. So I guess my answer is I don’t know yet”

“You’re pretty wise when you’re drunk” Sokka smiled, twirling Zuko’s hair between his fingers, and trying to tell himself that’s something friends did for each other all the time.

“Take after uncle I guess” Zuko mumbled, his eyes fluttering as if he were trying really hard to keep them open. A moment of silence passed between the two boys before Zuko spoke again. “Can you do the thing?”

Sokka smiled, realising exactly what Zuko wanted him to do. “There will come a soldier who carried a mighty sword” Sokka started to sing the song that he and Zuko loved. They sang it as a duet for a year eight drama lesson, and ever since it had become the song that one of them sang for the other when they were feeling down.

Sokka kept singing and petting Zuko’s hair, and by the end of the song, he was asleep. Sokka got up and left the room, hunting down the room Ursa kept free in the house for when he was staying the night there.

As he flopped back onto the bed, he couldn’t get the image of Zuko splayed out on top of the covers like a ragdoll out of his head. Eventually, sleep overcame him, and Sokka relaxed into the memory foam mattress, let out a deep sigh and let the inviting embrace of sleep pull him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very much sorry for what I did to Zuko in this chapter, and unfortunately, it is my trauma projecting onto my writing.
> 
> Okay I know that when I posted the last chapter I said this one would go up the next day, but I've been having some serious issues going on in my dumb dumb head.
> 
> Anyways the chapter is here now and I hope y'all are enjoying my modern AU. The next one is really light hearted so it'll be a lot more fun.
> 
> Se y'all in the next chapter.


	7. Go Greased Lightnin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to my car propaganda.
> 
> In which Zuko and Jet are hungover and drive old timey cars round a track at 100 miles an hour and then go look around a car show.
> 
> Some notes: at one point accents are mentioned for the old Fire Nation language (if you've come from After the War on Wattpad you'll probably recognise this) to hear what it sounds like look up @mandizy on TikTok and look at his welcome to Roman TikTok series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Zuko’s taking me to a hangover cure, though I’m not convinced that it isn’t a shallow grave”
> 
> “Hey if it’s a hangover cure I want in” Jet groaned. His voice was low and quiet. “Should he be driving?”
> 
> “Almost certainly not” Sokka shook his head. “And if it isn’t?” He asked, finally getting his car unlocked.
> 
> “Sokka my good man, I’m convinced I’m already dead so good luck murdering me” Jet said before getting in the beat up Nova.

Can Sokka go on the record saying fuck the bugs and the temperature in the Fire Nation? He was stuck to the duvet and the sheets, covered in a sheen of sweat and watching a glowfly hovering around the room. Not only did those bastards make an annoying buzzing noise, they also fucking glowed. As if a creature couldn’t get anymore obnoxious.

He wasn’t sure when Zuko had come into the guest room and plastered himself to Sokka’s side like an overgrown koalaotter but hey, he wasn’t complaining. When Zuko shifted slightly in his sleep and reached his arm further over Sokka he tried to quell his bi panic, but failed miserably.

Sokka was glad he managed to chill out a bit when Zuko groaned and started to wake up. “Mornin’ Hotman” Sokka smirked and tightened his grip on Zuko’s shoulder when he screwed his eyes shut and groaned. “How you feeling?”

“Death is my only friend now” Zuko groaned into Sokka’s chest and he smiled. “I threw up a lot last night”

“Three times” Sokka interrupted.

“Did any of my insides get on my car?” Zuko mumbled.

“No. I made sure nothing got on your car” Sokka traced little circles on Zuko’s bare shoulder blade. “How’s your head doing?”

“Fucking horrible” Zuko groaned, apparently refusing to open his eyes except to throw his best sarcastic looks at Sokka. “Though I do have a hangover cure” Sokka would never cease to marvel at how the old tongue’s accent still lingered in Zuko’s voice and mangled his speech. It didn’t happen often, and it didn’t intrude on what he was saying, but sometimes his words were the wrong way round or a word didn’t quite come out right, but Tui and La be damned if it weren’t fascinating.

“And what is this hangover cure?” Sokka asked, receiving a grin and a knowing tap of the nose from Zuko as he slowly made his way out of the bed.

A few hours later Zuko had replaced the turtleduck pyjama trousers with some skin tight ripped jeans and his favourite t shirt. Sokka recalled Zuko had stolen it from his wardrobe, but that was splitting hairs. And he still hadn’t told Sokka what this alleged hangover cure was.

Zuko stopped the car in front of Chan’s house. Next to a beat up Vauxhall Nova they didn’t recognise. Sokka spotted his car and exited the Lotus, pausing unlocking his dented Daewoo when he saw Jet. “Good morning Jet” Sokka grinned. Jet flipped him off. “You look awful what happened to you?”

“I kept drinking and now I regret it” Jet griped, scrubbing his face with his hands. “How’s our favourite idiot doing today?” Jet’s question was answered by Zuko poking his head out of the window.

“Absolutely bollocksed!” He called. The sunglasses still made Sokka laugh. Zuko had put them on so he could be outside and not get an agonising headache. “You look like shit” Jet responded by flipping Zuko off. Which Zuko happily returned in kind.

“Zuko’s taking me to a hangover cure, though I’m not convinced that it isn’t a shallow grave”

“Hey if it’s a hangover cure I want in” Jet groaned. His voice was low and quiet. “Should he be driving?”

“Almost certainly not” Sokka shook his head. “And if it isn’t?” He asked, finally getting his car unlocked.

“Sokka my good man, I’m convinced I’m already dead so good luck murdering me” Jet said before getting in the beat up Nova.

Sokka got in his car and gestured for Jet to follow him as he reversed out of Chan’s enormous driveway. It didn’t take long for the convoy to arrive at the abandoned racetrack that Sokka remembered belonged to the Pyre family. He suspected Ozai bought it so he could train his getaway drivers.

“Okay what is this hangover cure Zuko?” Jet asked as the three of them exited their cars.

“Gentlemen” Zuko leaned dramatically against the bonnet of his Lotus. Usually he looked all kinds of suave when he did that, or at least in Sokka’s opinion he did, but today Zuko was so hungover he couldn’t stand up straight. Then again, saying Zuko could ever do anything straight was a massive overstatement. “The hangover cure is simple” he clapped his hands together. “Get in one of the cars and drive round the track at over a hundred miles an hour” When Zuko was hungover the accent of the world’s old abandoned language made itself known.

“What car?” Jet asked, and Zuko gave that knowing tap of his nose again.

“I’ll be back” Zuko said before walking over to an enormous shed. Jet and Sokka watched him fumble with a key and padlock before kicking the two sliding doors open. Their collective jaws dropped when the contents of the shed were revealed. Zuko disappeared into the shed so Jet and Sokka ran over to follow him.

“There are so many cars in here” Jet muttered, eyeing up a particularly nice looking Ferrari Testarossa. Sokka watched him move towards the back of the shed, inspecting all the cars.

“Yeah, my father needed a lot of them for his _work_ ” Sokka hated that he knew what Zuko was implying by stressing the word ‘work’. 

“Woah!” Sokka looked away from the Bentley he was leaning against to see Jet at the back of the shed looking at a sheet covered car. “OP six seven YRE” Jet spelled out the plate of the vehicle, and Sokka thought he recognised it from somewhere.

Zuko whipped round from where he was rifling through a locked cabinet. He pushed the sunglasses up on his head, pinning his hair back. Sokka turned his attention back to the covered car, watching Jet reveal it so he wouldn’t stare at Zuko looking like an attractive old timey gangster. No matter how hungover he was.

Jet took hold of the sheet covering the car and ripped it off. Now Sokka knew why he recognised the number plate. “It’s the getaway car” it took Sokka a hot minute to fully realise he was looking at the car that had been splashed all over the newspapers.

“I’ve seen this car so many times!” Jet proclaimed, running his fingers over the bonnet. “It was all over the news when I was fourteen, I always thought it was beautiful but actually seeing it in person” Sokka had always thought the car was glorious and he had wanted to drive it, but he definitely didn’t want to pilfer Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom banks, and ram raid shops with Ozai’s crime yobs. “What kind of car is it anyways?” Sokka could almost feel the excitement in Jet’s voice.

“It’s a nineteen-sixty-seven Cadillac Eldorado” Zuko’s voice was quiet and low. “It’s not so beautiful when you’re sat in it with the worst of Ozai’s maniacal fuckwads” Zuko glowered at the car.

“Why were you in the car?” Jet asked, cocking his head to the side and stepping away from the vehicle for a second.

“I was the driver” Zuko snarled, turning back to the combination locked cabinet that Sokka could now see contained rows of keys. He assumed they were all keys to the cars.

“We could drive it” Sokka smirked, and waggled his eyebrows when Zuko turned to face him.

“We can’t drive it Sokka” Zuko sighed. Zuko had told Sokka about the car’s status before. When Senate proceedings were brought against Ozai, the judicator had let the Pyre family keep the racetrack and the getaway car, since Ozai had technically put them both in Zuko’s name in an effort to save his own skin if his crimes caught up with him.

“Not on the road” Sokka gestured out to the track.

“Sokka” Zuko started but Jet cut him off.

“Does it have a black box in it?”

“No” Zuko said slowly, eyeing Sokka and Jet suspiciously as the two boys stood next to each other.

“Is the track owned by your family?” Sokka asked with a smug smirk.

“Yes” Zuko said, then the puzzled look on his face was replaced by a sly grin. “Yes it is” Zuko walked over to a row of cars that looked like Cadillacs, and Sokka quickly realised they were the BLI cars that had been phased out four years ago. “We do have these old Drone cars, equipped with radios” Sokka shuddered to think why Ozai had stolen BLI cars and kept them at the track. Assumedly to simulate getaway driving.

“What did you just call them?” Jet asked, cocking his head and crossing his arms.

“Drones… you know? The Body Snatchers? The Rozzers? The Coppers?” Jet was looking progressively more confused and Sokka realised it was because he’d never heard Fire Nation slang for them. “The BLI”

Jet got it now. “You call the BLI Drones?”

“Well what do you call them?” Zuko asked.

“Well aside from the BLI we call them things like Swine, the Nosers, Feds” Jet started to list Earth Kingdom slang for the upholders of the world’s law. Sokka wasn’t expecting Jet to turn to him and ask him what his nation called the BLI.

“Well the Water Tribes call them things like the Rooks, Chuffs, Crushers but we call them Lawmen, and the North calls them the Blue Vaatus and the Ratters, other than that Water Tribe slang is pretty much the same”

“I’ve heard Aang call them the Dusters and the Flumets before” Zuko mused. “All right boys, what do you say we get the getaway car out there and reenact a chase” Zuko grinned, throwing some keys up in the air and catching them.

Before long the trio had the getaway car and the BLI cars lined up at the area of the track designed to simulate rural driving. “Alright Sokka, we’ll be the Rozzers” another Fire Nation slang term, Sokka was sure. “Jet, you have the distinguished honour of being a criminal” Zuko smiled wryly at Jet as he handed him the keys.

“What cars are you driving?” Jet asked before getting in the getaway car.

“We’re driving nineteen-sixty-seven Plymouth Belvederes” Zuko grinned from where he was leaning against the bonnet of his car. “Top sped: one-hundred and fifty miles an hour” Sokka had no idea how to gauge that info against anything so he just assumed it was good, and they were gonna arrest Jet for being a yob.

“And what are the stats for my car?” Jet paled, holding his door open.

“Your top speed is two-hundred and five miles per hour” Sokka had no idea why Zuko looked so smug, they were going to lose miserably.

“But that’s higher than yours, why do you look so happy?” Jet was grinning like a sly bastard.

“We’ll find out, Freedom Fighter” Zuko grinned before getting in his car, and Sokka hopped into his vehicle and got to work adjusting the seat. Whoever last drove this was pretty damn short.

If someone had told Sokka that he would be driving an outdated BLI car round the Pyre track, chasing Ozai’s getaway car with the blues and twos on, all while wearing a fake mustache he would have called them a shit faced liar. But here he was, in a BLI car, chasing the famous getaway car that haunted bank teller's dreams. While wearing a fake mustache.

Jet was good. Unfortunately, Zuko was better. Sokka watched him pull off a particularly spectacular handbrake turn and corner Jet. He quickly drove his own car up behind the Cadillac, and got out of the car. “Excuse me sir, my mustache would like a word with you” Sokka said in his best impression of a stuffy BLI officer with a mustache.

“If you’d like to step out of the vehicle” Zuko said, emerging from his car and putting his hand on his hips while staring Jet down. “You’re nicked sunshine” he was also trying to do his best impression of a Rook with an outrageous mustache.

The trio drove their convoy back to the start line, and swapped mustaches. It was Sokka and Jet’s turn to chase Zuko. “You don’t have to drive the getaway car, we can get you one of the Ferraris or Bentleys” Sokka started.

“No” Zuko cut him off. “It’s a beautiful car, and it’s an absolute dream to drive, I want to be able to drive it and take it back, it’s what the idiot deserves for putting it in my name” Sokka smiled, remembering what a relief it had been when Zuko and Azula were absolved of their shitty father’s crimes.

The cars were lined up on the start line. The Getaway car slightly ahead of the BLI vehicles and the engines revving. “Ready Hotshot?” Sokka spoke into the radio.

“Ready Sock” Sokka rolled his eyes. He was gonna get Zuko for bringing up that dumb nickname Azula had bestowed him with.

“Let’s get him Jet”

“Agreed Sock” before Sokka could shout down the radio that he was gonna arrest Jet for insubordination he heard Jet giving the countdown.

In the few seconds it took for the countdown to finish, Sokka was thoroughly convinced he had every possible location where Zuko could lose them spotted and covered. He could evade them in one of the side streets, he could lose them in the maze of roundabouts or he could hide behind various walls.

“Go!” Jet’s command echoed through Sokka’s head and he watched Zuko floor the car and tear away. He and Jet followed swiftly, making sure to tail the car as best they could. Though Zuko’s experience made that a difficult task.

Sokka soon found himself starting to sweat. Summers in the Fire Nation were hot, even when they were coming to an end and nearing the rainy season. Sokka and Jet were being broiled in their cars, while Zuko was fine and speeding round the track. Though both Jet and Sokka were enjoying having the sirens on in the cars.

What Sokka and Jet were quickly discovering was: though their cars were quicker than the getaway car, they lacked Zuko’s experience of speeding around rural obstacles so they couldn’t get anywhere near above thirty miles an hour, whereas Zuko could get to fifty and he quickly lost them. “Constable Alaku do you copy?”

“I copy Chief Inspector Yang, Sir” when Zuko told them he knew the BLI ranks, Sokka and Jet were both surprised. However, when Zuko had told them he tuned into the BLI radios while driving, they supposed knowing the ranks was an important asset. 

“I think we’re gonna spend a lot of this looking for the yobbo, we would appear to have lost him completely”

“How did we lose a whole car and a human?” Sokka spoke into the radio, trying to work out where the fuck Zuko was. 

“I think we should start looking for him in the side streets, Sir” Sokka suggested, realising this was going to be like the video game Suki had introduced them all to.

“This is kinda like that game Suki brought last games night” Jet’s voice crackled in over the radio. “Zuko is the Hidden and you and me are the Hunters” Sokka smiled and was struck by a thought. This was exactly like Manhunt, so they just needed to play this exactly so. Sokka also realised that Zuko could probably hear everything they were saying over the radio.

Sokka pulled up next to Jet’s car and signalled for him to stop and roll down the window. “Since you’re right and this game is exactly like Manhunt we need to strategise as if we were playing the game, which means turning to a different radio channel” Jet nodded and went to switch his radio. 

“Alright, let’s go arrest the yob” Jet said, pulling his car away.

Sokka and Jet reasoned that Zuko had to be sitting stationary somewhere, waiting for them to get further into the rural maze that was the abandoned town the track had been built around. But the question was where? “Okay, Pyre, where are you?” Sokka muttered, scanning his eyes around the area. His eyes landed on a multi story car park. “Got you” he grinned. Sokka radioed Jet and they positioned their cars at the entrance to the car park.

The cars came to a stop at the car park entrance, and Sokka momentarily switched back to the previous channel. “Zuko, I know you can hear me” Sokka spoke into the radio as ominously as he could. “Olly olly oxen bitch”

Sokka knew that Zuko’s plan would be: wait for him and Jet to get out of reach, then go shooting to the finish line and his victory. That was his usual strategy. So Sokka was surprised when the getaway car came tearing past them.

* * *

Zuko tried to resist doing a minor victory dance when he managed to lose Sokka and Jet in a maze of alleyways. In a stroke of genius he drove into a multi storey car park, and stationed his car on the top open air level. No matter how much he hated the getaway car and what it stood for he would always love the click of the closing doors. Zuko pushed his aviators up into his hair and sat on the bonnet of the Cadillac.

“Constable Alaku do you copy?” As Zuko lay over the bonnet he could still hear the radio loud and clear from inside the car, and he couldn’t help but feel smug.

“I copy Chief Inspector Yang, Sir” it wasn’t pleasant harkening back to the days where Zuko would tune into BLI radios to work out where they were for maximum evading, but the fact that he was doing it with his friends was admittedly a lot of fun. 

“I think we’re gonna spend a lot of this looking for the yobbo, we would appear to have lost him completely” _smug Zuko is smug_ was the first thing to pop into his head while he lay on the bonnet soaking up the sun. He always felt more energised in the sunlight. Must be a Fire Nation thing.

“How did we lose a whole car and a human?” Sokka’s voice came crackling over the radio. 

“I think we should start looking for him in the side streets, Sir” they could look in as many of them as they wanted, they would come up empty handed.

“This is kinda like that game Suki brought last games night” Jet’s voice crackled in over the radio. “Zuko is the Hidden and you and me are the Hunters” huh. Jet was right, they were basically playing Manhunt.

For a while Zuko didn’t hear anything on the radio, so he sat up on the bonnet and surveyed the area surrounding the car park. But he found nothing so he went back to amusing himself.

Zuko reached into his jean pocket and fished out the packet of cigarettes Hahn had stuffed into his hoodie pocket at the party, and had forgotten to retrieve. For a weird moment he considered lighting one, but decided better of it when he heard a pair of engines sounding off below the car park. Hopping off the hood and creeping to the barrier, Zuko looked over the edge and saw Sokka and Jet parking their cars outside the entrance. Damn they were smoking him out.

“Zuko, I know you can hear me” hello. What was going on here? “Olly olly oxen bitch” Sokka was indicating that any hidden player could come out into the open. Okay. Zuko would come out into the open. 

One problem: Sokka and Jet were right outside his only exit.

Hang the fuck on. Levelled car parks only had one entrance. But they also had maintenance or employee entrances that most people don’t know about because they’re not available to the public. Zuko could literally sneak out the back door.

As he got back in the car Zuko could feel the hangover fading, but it was replaced with a slight restless energy and he could feel his forearms itching a little bit.

After some meandering around the levels, hopefully staying out of sight of Constable Sokka and PC Jet, Zuko found the maintenance door. He hopped out of the car and walked round to the boot, rummaging for the bolt cutters. Technically this was breaking and entering, well, more like breaking and exiting, but the town had been abandoned for years before Ozai had built a track round it to train his band of criminals. Zuko cut the padlock and chains holding the door closed and pushed it open, the exit was in sight.

Zuko inched the car out of the car park and from there it was a straight shot to the finish line and he could claim his victory. He’d managed to evade a hundred Rozzer cars this way and he would do it again.

There was no sign of Jet or Sokka. “Fuck it” Zuko whispered to himself, turned up his getaway driving playlist, and blasted the car off to the finish line to the tune of _The Heartbreak Valley Boy’s O Death_.

Before Zuko could think he was home free, he heard the blues and twos commence behind him and noticed Sokka tearing up the road in hot pursuit. Jet wasn’t too far off either, coming up a bit close on Zuko’s right for his comfort. Though come to think of it, the Fire Nation drove on the left side of the road. The Earth Kingdom didn’t. Zuko was impressed at how well Jet was driving on the side of the road that went against his intuition.

Zuko doesn’t often have safe ideas. This was one of those times. In a moment of error he realised that actually the finish line was in the other direction. He blamed getting a bit discombobulated when leaving the car park. He decided to floor the car and take the roundabout ahead of him without slowing down at all.

A hairraising moment of Zuko thinking the back of the car was gonna spin out and he’d be caught, or the car was gonna flip later he was round the roundabout and Sokka and Jet hadn’t been able to slow down in time to do anything more than go straight on. Zuko could see them trying to turn around, and he sped ahead.

Sometimes Zuko misses getaway driving, but then he realises he misses the adrenaline screaming through his veins, as he does increasingly more dangerous things in old Fire Nation muscle cars with pursuit hot on his heels. He likes thinking on the fly. He loves the atmosphere in the car that feels like he could shoot lightning from his fingertips if he tried. He likes feeling like he could fly if he so pleased. What he definitely doesn’t miss is being berated by his father for being too slow, or taking a dangerous turn. 

Nothing was ever good enough for Ozai and that fired Zuko’s burning passion for driving. He could have come away from a bank job where Ozai’s crew would have grabbed thousands of Sterling and priceless artefacts, but because Zuko was the driver it wasn’t good enough.

What fired that burning passion now was introducing Sokka and Jet to the world of getaway driving, and with it rallycross and illegal street racing. He wanted to show it all to them. And that was what kept his foot pinned to the accelerator as he expertly weaved through rural obstacles. 

The finish line was in sight and Zuko could taste his victory. Though encroaching on his -admittedly shoddy- hearing was the sounds of the blue and twos on the Drone cars chasing him. Praying to every bullshit Spirit he knew Zuko pressed all of his might down on the accelerator and almost howled in delight as he crossed the finish line.

Zuko managed a pretty expert tailspin and the car faced the Drone cars approaching the finish line. He got out and hopped up on the bonnet and put his left hand in an L shape on his forehead.

“Alright, no need to look so damn smug assbutt” Sokka’s insult bounced harmlessly off Zuko, because he knew his best friend didn’t mean it.

“That was some pretty impressive driving there Firelord” Jet crossed his arms and leaned against the bonnet of his car.

“Not too bad yourself Freedom Fighter” Zuko smirked coyly.

“Feeling less hungover?” Sokka asked and Zuko and Jet both nodded.

The boys elected to take the Lotus round the track, before Sokka and Zuko realised they both had a history project they’d barely started to work on and it was due in two days. Some hasty goodbyes were said before Sokka and Zuko bolted to Sokka’s house to do their project that they had dubbed ‘ _Zuko Pyre’s Court of Historical Law_ ’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know this was long as hell and I'm sorry.
> 
> For clarification because I always worry that I'm not clear enough the BLI are this world's version of the police. I didn't wanna put the police in here because it's a touchy subject at the moment, plus I wanted to get some old timey English slang in.
> 
> Also for clarification: Zuko was made the getaway driver at 12 and Azula was made the backup getaway driver (she wasn't as good at drving under pressure as Zuko was so he was deemed slightly more useful -though Ozai still hated him and thought he was useless in every other regard) and when Ozai's crimes caught up with him Zuko and Azula were allowed to remain driving (this happened when Zuko was 15 and Azula was 14) as long as Zuko retook the practical test and Azula took a minimum of ten lessons, the theory test and the practical.
> 
> Okay thank you, kudos and comments are always really appreciated because I wanna know how I'm doing.
> 
> Alright byee.


End file.
